The Testimony of a "Daddy's Girl"

Do the same rules apply? From a young age she has been taught never to go off anywhere with a stranger, never to let a stranger touch her or get her alone, but he is not a stranger. She loves him and he makes sure to tell her at all times that he loves her. She has been taught by her mother to tell if someone tries to touch her no matter who it is, no matter what they say, but is HE telling the truth about it causing trouble for her mother and will she take the chance of that happening? No! She wanted him to be like a father to her, not to have this kind of relationship with him whatever it is. Just the fact that he has made it clear that she should tell no one what “they” do makes her feel shame and guilt about what is happening. Now on top of all of this, she has to bear this secret, hold it all in, keep it to herself, TELL NO ONE and deal with all these feelings ALONE. What responsibility for a six year old! How could we possibly think that years of enduring and harboring this from the precious, tender, innocent age of six would not change her, any child for the rest of their lives! Someone has just robbed them of their innocence, given them issues that they are totally incapable of processing in their young minds and confused and manipulated them to no end. Your mind matures as you grow older and at different stages later on in life, so it takes you all of your life to be able to process this as you go along. All of your life you’re dealing with all of these feelings that were thrown on you in the matter of a moment, using different defense mechanisms to deal with this traumatic experience. All of your life your making decisions based on the events that have taken place, only no one knows what those events were. All of your life your watching the others around you, still feeling the responsibility of the task that was given to you so long ago of protecting them and wondering how it would affect their lives if you revealed it now. This man is someone who is still trusted by those around you and who would believe that he would have ever done something like this because he is such a good person in their eyes. How? how can those of us that have been through this just be expected to move on? Believe me, it’s not that easy. I personally know a sister who is very close to me who had to suffer through this same traumatic experience for seven straight years at the hands of her father. The next chapter is dedicated to her giving her the opportunity to tell her story in her own words……………