Today is my 33rd Birthday, and I made a 12 year old cry...

[Lionessa]

3. As much as my abuse at home was horrendous, I am ever so glad

I never entered foster care. Easier not to blame myself because of family abuse, but with the history of substandard and abusive foster homes, at least I didn't have multiple abusive homes which would have made it much harder for me to realize it was me, it wasn't about my behavior, it was about theirs. But when things happen over and over in what should be "better" places, it gets real hard I imagine not to feel somehow responsible, to a child particularly.

It will be hard, and hats off to you for the suffering you'll see, sometimes you'll be blamed for (like today), and you will be doing everything you can to stop. I hope you have a really good support system, I think you'll need it.