After discussing the creation of clear boundaries with Mark, he responded with, “I’m confused.” This reaction typifies those with self-doubt who have troubles with sorting and sifting. They don’t trust their instincts to generate an empowering decision. Rather, self-doubters cling to their cocoon in an attempt to avoid the inevitability of appropriate action.
Learning to process and accept our past is a necessary step in one’s search for adulthood.
The victimizer has never processed childhood conflict. He may have been abused or witnessed abuse at the hands or words of a parent. The aggressor experiences psychic numbing that is derived out of his own victimization.
Troubled childhoods leave an indelible imprint on the “surviving” adult.
Childhood can be a nightmare. It is an act of grace that many of us fare as well as we do considering our family history.
It is a wonder that many of us fare as well as we do considering the perils of our childhood. Nevertheless, it is not uncommon to find gaping pot holes when it comes to the way we have navigated adulthood. As we glimpse into the rear-view-mirror, we see the vestiges of the past that are reminders of how far we have yet to travel.
