My definition of covered giants is unresolved memories and repressed anger that lurk just below the surface. Severe abuse leads to many covered giants, especially when it happens in childhood. In my life, it happened in the context of my missionary kid experience.
Suppression has for far too long, been my way of coping. Why have I suppressed my memories for so many years? The timing of flashbacks and unexpected emotions are unpredictable and rarely bearable. The difficult, forgotten times and events rise-up suddenly, without warning, and they trigger abrupt and unexplainable anger, which collide with my needs, and those of my children and husband. For decades, I had no time to face the unexpected appearances of ugliness. Unfortunately, repression does not work; the giants remain and grow larger.
Many of my memories are painful, often brutal. Others are enchanting, poignant, clarifying, and releasing. Why expose them? By confronting the hidden giants, I hope to heal my own being, my heart, mind, and emotions. I hope my story will strike a chord with MKs and all those who, as children, were forcibly separated from their families. Perhaps my story can be a step in their healing as well. Finally, I hope it resonates with readers coming from entirely different experiences, who nevertheless have their own giants to face down.