Children need at least a mother and a father. My children and I survived those arduous years. However, all five of them paid a price that will inevitably leave its mark on their lives. The flip side of all this is that we all developed a sense of personal empowerment and strength that helped us deal with life's problems as they confronted us daily. Our sense of personal survival fueled our sense of self-esteem.
Adversity breeds new strength.
It is important to note that my empowerment didn't develop alone. Nor was my life without constant trials. The message here is community. The work cannot be done alone. We need validation and legitimization for healing to occur.