I posted earlier on this thread but it was to give a thumbs up to someone else and I know I didn't post what I was most proud of. I guess at that moment I just didn't want to get into or even know how to put it into words and well because I had to get to work and I couldn't be all weepy for that so I just didn't get into it...
but I saw this reply... and yes, that is my answer too, only for me it was a cycle of alchoholism and abuse. My dad was an alchoholic.... my mom became an alchoholic when I was a teen... all my grandparents were passed away by the time I was 4 ... most died as a result of alchohol or from being abused... so I had no one to lean on... no one to turn to... so to get away from the alchoholics ... i married at 18... to a man who turned out to be an alchoholic/drug user. After 1 child and 4 years of marriage ...after being abused and having a knife held to my throat... I found the courage to leave and stay away .... everything I did from that day.... for a long time... I did, literally, with closed fist because I kept telling myself that God was holding my hand.... every minute of every day. The first year on my own was rough and i did some drinking of my own.
Then 2 things happened. First, somehow.. I came to my senses... I stopped and took a good hard look at what I was doing and I pulled myself together and I vowed .... I made it my life's goal .... that the drinking and the abuse was going to STOP here! With me! My son will not grow up as I did.
The 2nd thing was meeting my 2nd DH... my present husband. The man that saved my life... the man that picked me up and brought me into a whole new world I had not known... the man that showed me what real family was all about.. he has been a wonderful father to my son and we have 2 more sons together ... and next year will be our 25th anniversary

AND our sons are grown and they are good, kind compassionate people that I could not be more proud of

and I am proud of myself because I overcame and accomplished my goal.....broke the cycle ....
I have since lost my father in 89 and my Mom in 99, both to alchoholism