My New Hero

I know I’ve written the last post the other day but once I did that, I realize I had more things to say. I was suddenly hit with lots of inspiration. I recently added a new addition to my list of worthy Heroes in my life. My dad (God bless his soul) is on top of that list and will never-ever be nudge.

This last weekend was a quite affair in my life. I’ve moved into my recently vacant brother’s room then I found a book lying around in my sister’s room; A Child called IT. With the exception of going swimming with my siblings for which I got sun burn for, I spent most of the weekend tuck away alone in my room reading this book only to occasionally to go out to eat and entertain visits from my siblings and mum. I read some of the chapters a few times. I’ve always wrote in this blog longing to be inspired, and the story of Dave Pelzer definitely has.

The book is based on true events. It entails the worse case of Child Abuse in the history of California. It was so moving and terrifying, I was heartbroken. To say the mother was a monster is an understatement. I can’t believe what Dave Pelzer had to endure for what must have been, 8 very long years. Reading it, I was introduces to a world that I never, and hope that no one will ever experience. Though I am not naive when it comes to issues like these, it is one thing to know the facts and another to read the details and realizing the pain he went through. The term “a living hell” is thrown here and there but his childhood in my humble opinion really was. I cannot stress that enough. I couldn’t put the book down. I cried most of the time. The days were about winning bouts internally with his mother. He wouldn’t give her the satisfaction of seeing him breakdown even though there were times where she got the best of him. He was physically abuse from the age of 4 to 12 that’s when he was finally rescued by his teacher Athena Konstan. She later wrote “In my 31 years of teaching, David Pelzer was the most severely abused child I have ever known." He was burned on a stove, stabbed in the chest, starve for days on end, forced to eat feces and vomit, ridiculed, put in an unventilated room fuming with ammonia and Clorox, it’s an equivalent to a gas chamber. He lost his dignity, his security, his liberty, his freedom and his love, basically lost his humanity. He only survived on primal instinct where he had to steal food in order to survive. But if ever caught by the mother, which happen frequently because she ensures that he cannot eat food, would be beaten to the point where he collapse.

What’s really inspiring was, in the end he forgave his mother. After enduring all that, he was able to move on, find love and live happily without resentment for his mother. I had people who wrong me in the past but nothing liked what he went through. Dave has inspired me to forgive. He was able to do it than so should I. I will… and have forgiven. After reading it, I feel very privilege to have a dad liked mine. I missed him and wish he was still here. Rest in peace Dad. Al-Fatiha…