The Journey

By Sara Niles

"We left our whole world behind and fled with nothing, yet the children never even once asked Why?" Sara NilesIn 1987, I and my five children fled for our lives, Literally. I was about to be killed, and likely, my five children as well. There are many types of abusive people, those who destroy the soul with words like daggers, and those who will do more than that-they will kill you. I had one of those types, an obsessive, possessive would-be killer. I interrupted his plans by escaping with his five biological children. This was a high crime to him because in his schema of things, I stole his Property, for which I deserved an especially brutal and torturous murder. I knew this in advance, so I virtually disappeared without a trace. The looking-over-our-shoulders ended when I finally knew we were safe, and free to rebuild our lives and create happy futures. True to my expectations, our Life Journey started out Free and Hopeful; but oh, how Long and Endless the Journey would become. There would be many days in which I wondered who of us could survive.The Journey is Nostalgic, reminiscent of happy childhoods and family memories; and it is dramatic, as it recounts the perilous navigation of a family that is often in crisis. The systematic progression of the toxic dysfunction, becomes a central theme of the story, as every family member alternates between times of stability and success, and tragedy.The author is narrating in first person, as an integral and vital part of the story. Societal Stigma is a factor in families keeping dysfunction secret, as something shameful, that should be hidden and denied. In The Journey, the Truth about Family Dysfunction, and its invasive and devastating impact upon each family member is revealed. The dynamic influences of siblings upon the family dynamic as a whole, in both positive and negative ways, is outlined through the actual life story of the Niles Family. One of the strongest protectors of family abuse and dysfunction, is Secrecy and Denial. It is common for members of a family to come forward with revelations of abuse or mistreatment, only to be discounted, and invalidated by the family as a whole. It is also common for societies to blame 'The Mother' for all that goes wrong in a family; or even for the choices made by adult children, and to leave 'The Father', blameless. The responsibility of mothers is far greater than that of fathers, according to the unspoken 'code' of a not so recent Patriarchal Society. Children grow up in a world in which it really does 'Take a Village', but there is no village standing by, waiting to help. The abuse of children requires blame to be placed on the right person, and responsibility taken by perpetrators who are actually held accountable. The balance of justice requires this, but it is lacking in families, and it is lacking in societies. Wounded Souls continue to spread toxic distress upon others because Justice is Silent. The actual perpetrator is more often than not, never held accountable, and the victims are left without resolution. The Truth, honestly Told, and Honestly Felt, is the True Anathema to Dysfunction; and this Truth starts in the same place the Lie was born: behind the closed doors, and the secret rooms of The Family of Origin. The Journey is Telling that Truth.Anybody can become angry - that is easy, but to be angry with the right person and to the right degree and at the right time and for the right purpose, and in the right way - that is not within everybody's power and is not easy. Aristotle

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B08HTG6HX1
• ISBN13: 9798685114143
• Release Date: September 2020
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 474 Pages
• Weight: 1.38 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.0" x 9.0"