Today is the birthday of my violently physically, emotionally, and spiritually abusive untreated bipolar father.  It was a day when he'd go manic in the home demanding big celebrations of his ego from the very people he beat bloody with his fists in the home weekly.  Since his mania had led him to escape supervision by moving us abroad as missionaries to South America, he could get away with anything.  Kind of like when the Rev. Jim Jones took his people to South America and they died there.  Instead, he got deported by the South American police, kicked out of his church, and had his missionary appointment revoked, but not before he'd terrorized me for a few decades first.

I'm lucky he didn't kill me even though he tried to drown me in a South American river once.  A local farmer came and saved me from the water, pretty confused by it all.  I haven't been hit by him for 10 years now, but it's a day when I lay low and try not to think about him too much.  My mother was mentally ill and violent, too, My violent parents' wedding anniversary was August 26, so this 10 day period from today until then was always difficult for me.

Support welcome from August 16-26.  Thanks.