Wil,

Permit me some fandom, but I loved Wesley Crusher. Your goodness always shined through him. You have a permanent place in my heart.

I have a holiday wish for you.

As part of your recovery, I hope you come to focus less on your family's foibles and limitations. It's not a path of healing.

Instead, like you did in this post, focus on the benefits and joys the people in your life bring you.

It's never easy.

Some day, you may come to completely forgive your parents and the awful people they exposed you to. Even in their ignorance, they were doing the best they could. No parent ever succeeds in their quest for perfection.