Valentine’s Day has passed but you are not forgotten. I must admit though, I struggled to find words to say or embrace the spirit of love/respect/hope this year. Instead, I thought I would settle on forgiveness or at least the hope of getting there one day.
You have tuned into a ‘terrible teen’ with all the stereotypical self-centeredness and abusiveness to those closest to you.
Or put another way, I feel like I’m being your parent who is trying to protect you from an abusive boyfriend. It is clear to everyone around you that this boyfriend is interested in only one person, himself, but has gaslighted you so badly that you believe his lies.
You seem blind to your boyfriend’s abuse even though he is leaving you isolated and powerless. Every day you are becoming more powerless. All the things you once took for granted, your boyfriend is taking away. He is isolating you from your friends and he has even appointed his abusive best friend to look after your bank account for you.
He has even managed to convince you that some of your closest friends have been taking advantage of you.
I’m one of your friends but I can no longer stand by while your boyfriend abuses us. It’s not that I wanted change, but your boyfriend and his family have forced me to look at all my options. I don’t know if I will ever regain the trust we once had. Canadians are polite, kind, tolerant and forgiving to a fault but there’s only so much we can take.
Forever your hopeful Valentine,
Canada
-Dan Cunin is from Cochrane, Alberta
