Every Other Thursday

There was a loud gasp in the room, everyone including the parole board was flabbergasted as Danielle spoke about the crimes of her father. Her voice cracked and she swallowed hard, but pressed in continuing to share from her heart. "So many families have been torn apart, by these ghastly events, we have all been saturated with loss, sadness, and grief, weighed down by shame and guilt, and every morning without fail we wake up to fear and anxiety. I struggled through the years with low self worth, substance abuse, and deep depression in my effort to drown out all the stigma and burden of his crimes. It has not been an easy journey. Nothing will bring back Ivy Long, nor will my words erase the scars of molestation, but my hope is that we empower ourselves and connect like a jigsaw puzzle, with every piece representing healing, forgiveness and positive support of each other falling into place, to ensure a healthy future." There was not a dry eye in the room, everyone was drawn into Danielle's heart and felt every word that she shared. Especially Jena and Pinkie, who were sobbing in the arms of their prospective families.