childhood trauma
Children at a young age are very vulnerable to emotional abuse and physical punishment, and this causes internal suffering and scars that can often never be erased. Sexual molestation and neglect are also common and causes dysfunctional adult lives.
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Criticized by a kamikaze pilot
On his home turf, Otosan was the King. He seemed to enjoy bossing people and rebutting any opinion. At least once he had Elly in tears. Brad could not understand a word of the man’s fierce Japanese and would ask Elly to break it down. Then he tried to win the old man over. It was a mistake. Brad told Otosan, through Elly’s translation, about his childhood and how he had tried to help his family. He told about his father’s alcoholism, their poverty, and about how at the age of 16 he had left his family to go and work his way through school and become a successful doctor.…
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East Meets West: Brad and Elly get married
Elly’s parents and older brother arrived at San Francisco International Airport from Okayama, Japan to their daughter and sister get married. On their wedding day, Brad went up to their room at a nearby Marriott, and Elly introduced them as Otosan and Okasan, which meant Father and Mother. They bowed politely and spoke in Japanese which Elly translated. Okasan was bent over, leaned on a cane with one arm, and gave Brad a kind smile. Otosan stood rigidly, eyes like coals burning through thick black framed glasses, supporting his wife by her other arm. They were slightly shorter than Elly’s 5’ 3” and almost as petite. The brother shook Brad’s…
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A Poor and Crowded House
Natalie’s 3rd baby was born in the back seat of an old Chevy on the way to the hospital. She named him Glen after the first U.S. astronaut to circle the Earth, which bothered Bradley. He wouldn’t wish anybody born into the mess that was his family to be named after his hero. But it was thrilling when his Dad Morris brought them home after a few days in the hospital. Glen had a rough start and the doctor had told them it was because Natalie drank too much. But Mo was strutting around the house like a big king rooster, and making phone calls to spread the news. “Hey…