I have had one person apologize.

That's good.! Could you immediately take it?

It must have been very hard.

It was. But then, in retrospect, it's as if you were drowning in the ocean and came out alive and have a story to tell. The stories of survival are always deeper than that of having no such experience. One cannot expect though to come out totally undamaged.

Did you remove your child from the school?

No, that was beyond my sole decision since my son was not a child anymore but a teenager and had his own view.

My family-of-origin ridicules me still.

I am sorry to hear that. Do you think that there are still bridges which can be walked on from both sides?

I declined the invitation.

I did the same when invited to a birthday party where the host asked for bringing a test. I just did not answer. One year later the same friend invited me again and this time I went. I told her during a phone call that I did not come for that very reason the year before. I think she replied that it would have been irrelevant in the course of the evening anyway or something like that. I didn't blame her, she never expressed herself in an extreme way, instead she revealed mixed feelings.

I am much happier here in hillbilly country.

HaHa! :D So good to hear.

I am fearful as well. Then there are times I like to let go of all this anxiety. I do what I can, that must be good enough.