Definition of a childhood

I define being a child as never having to think about your parents relationship. Never questioning their love or commitment to one another. As never thinking your father will fail because he is your hero. As never seeing your mom for an hour each day and having her be miserable the entire hour before making dinner and then going to sleep. As never being yelled at for being stupid and slow when stuffing envelopes for your father's biker club. As never having to watch your father rip a phone out of the wall because he's angry that your brother is on the phone and not talking to him. Never being petrified that you will get smacked for leaving your room when you are sent there for doing something stupid. As never being scared to go home and see your lazy father sitting on the couch and not helping your mother as he should. As never being scared of your father when he screams in your face and threatens you as he stands before you in court. Never having to have your brother protect you from your own father. I define my ideal adulthood as going up to my father with my name in the playbill as a lighting designer on broadway and asking him to die knowing how much he's destroyed my psyche and trust in men by being an asshole and treating me like shit. And then thank him for leaving me with my mother who is the strongest woman I've ever met who has set the best example of what a woman should be. Strong, confident and self sufficient if no man deserves her.