My 10-year-old daughter always rushed to the bathroom as soon as she came home from school. When I asked, “Why do you always take a bath right away?” she smiled and said, “I just like to be clean.” However, one day while cleaning the drain, I found something. The moment I saw it, my whole body started trembling, and I immediately…

brush it off, not wanting to seem weak, not wanting to burden anyone else with the truth.

“That’s not true, Lily,” I said firmly. “You are perfect just the way you are. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be clean. You don’t let anyone make you feel otherwise, okay?”

She nodded, but I could tell she wasn’t completely convinced. The wounds of the past continue reading …