When I turned sixteen he stopped loving me. I was no longer the daughter he wanted or planned for. I was the thorn in his side, the pesky fly that never left. In his mind, I was holding him back from his glorious empire, and for that he put his hands on me. But, I was never a bad child; infact, I never received one detention during my twelve years of public schooling. However, I was a strong believer in doing what was right, and stopping what was wrong, and I knew what he was doing to protect his reputation. Sadly the rest of our small town was still under his spell. To them, he was the winning coach of three consecutive state championships, the U.S. women's soccer goal coach, and the head of a perfect family. What they didn't know was that beyond the glorious titles and physical accomplishments he possessed, my father was a lying, cheating, manipulative, and abusive man. Who was protecting his ever fragile reputation, like a drowning man, who would pull anyone down, including his children, to remain afloat. This selfish battle to preserve his name destroyed our family, but mostly me.
             Filled with anger and hatred for the man I was suppose to love, I turned to two songs, "Heart Break Hotel," and "I am not Afraid Anymore," for support and self expression. Every time my father would degrade, lie, or physically hurt me, you could soon hear Whitney Houston's "Heart Break Hotel" roaring from inside my room. Her bitter lyrics were an anthem for my pain. "I am Not Afraid Anymore" by Twila Paris, inspired me in a much different way. Even though this song is about praising the Lord, it gave me the strength and support I needed in order to stand up for what I believed in. As a sixteen year old girl, I misinterpreted the lyrics of this song. But my misinterpretation, which gave me the hope and belief that every thing would turn out right in the end, was crucia...