owning up to what I did, _here_, feels like the closest I'm ever gonna get to going to Confession, y'know? and I've been DOING the penance, basically ever since: battling brainweasels, learning what healthy friendships and romantic relationships and FAMILY is, going to therapy and ACoA meetings, writing and developing ritual structures to process my own wounding, making a commitment to help social justice causes as often as I can.

Thank you, for the "guts" comment. LJ, and therealljidol, still feels like "safe space" for unburdening and for airing out dirty laundry, and I feel blessed in that regard. Not everybody has that.