Lynn - I just had a shiver when I read again about you at age 4 witnessing the knife thing. I was 6 when I witnessed a gun thing with my "dad" and mom. Instead of shooting her, he hit her in the head with it and damaged her eardrum. Blood from her ear ran down onto my youngest brother, whom she was rocking at the time.

Why should any child witness these things?

I'm curious about how many have witnessed such violence as children - say pre-16 years old? I'm betting there are many - I'm interviewing a woman who did, then there's you, and of course, myself and my boyfriend (who, by the way, is now my husband) - I bet the percentage is very high. What are the chances of four people right off the bat having this same experience?

I really believe in my heart that "normal" families have experienced many of the topics we've all discussed - they've just chosen to keep it quiet.

I'm all for sharing. It's healing and empowering, and above all - it helps us to feel not alone and see what we've accomplished despite all the labels placed on people who've gone through traumatic experiences.

I'd like to start labeling the labelers.