  (cross-posted to urlLink MaleSurvivor.org ) I had lunch with my cousin today (a Children's Services worker) and told her that I knew there was a reason for us to be getting together this week (it's been over a year since I saw her).
As a kid I would spend part of the summers with her family at their cottage. I told her about the therapy I've been getting lately for accident-related PTSD and that it had brought up a lot of other stuff. She intuitively asked some very pertinent questions. She asked, "So are we talking about physical or sexual or psycholgical abuse? " I think I surprised her when I answered, "All of the above" and I was able to tell her, in a general way, about my childhood - which, besides the on-going sexual abuse by a stranger, included physical & psychologicial abuse by a teacher ("bullying" wasn't just from kids!
) who also was a close family friend. It was so liberating! When I came home I sent her a short thank you email and this is part of what she said in response, which brought me to tears: "Dearest K., you are still the sweet boy who quietly sat outside my bedroom door for hours (probably) waiting for my folks and I to waken up. You have once again made me feel very special, this time by saying I was a good person to talk to.
" 
