Opening The Door

Abuse always gets worse . . . no matter how many times the abuser says he’ll change. Pat Michie has experienced all types of abuse, from physical to mental, sexual, and financial, while growing up, married, and, again, in two romantic relationships. From her abusers, she has lived a life of fear, a fear that changed who she was and a fear that forced her to make some decisions she regrets today.

In Opening the Door, Pat shares her story of abuse to not only help her heal, but also in hope of helping others in abusive relationships and showing that the cycle of abuse can be broken. By revealing her truth, she hopes people will understand the different forms of abuse, how abuse can affect a victim, and what you can do, today, to overcome it. When she finally left her husband in 1987, after twenty-five years of severe abuse, some members of her family and community rejected her, not knowing what went on behind closed doors. Pat finally wants to open her door—and let people know the real her.

“I am stronger because of my weaknesses, alive because I am a fighter, compassionate because I suffered, and wise because I was foolish. I laugh because I cried and love because I’ve known loss. I have weathered many storms and can now dance in the rain.”