In this four part series, we will look at how forgiveness is the key to our heart’s health, and it is life’s freeing formula. We will see that we can walk this road to future freedom, as we hear the stories of people who have overcome the pain and hurt and who today live free.
As a young person I was born into a family where it was just my mum. When I was young I remember it being full of fun, full of love; I was in one of the most loving environments you could think of.
Life for me was from my point of view confusing. I grew up in a family that from the outside looked great, we had mum and a dad, four kids, we had a dog, the cat, the cars, the boat.
I grew up in a solo parent family. I didnt really have alot of male influence in my life growing up apart from my peers. Relationships were something that were purely to suit what you wanted in life.
I was brought up by my grandparents. Mum and dad at the time worked hard and they also would drink alot. With drinking there's also the other environment of being exposed to abuse.
The accident happened on August 15th 1988. A long time ago. I was on my way down from Auckland to the mountain for a week with one of my very close friends.
Kohi and I were childhood sweethearts so we grew up together and we went through high school together. So when we decided that we wanted to spend our lives together I thought I had found everything I had wanted.
I was about 12 years old, my parents had kind of just split up then. So I think round about that age every guy kind of just needs his dad then cause you're coming into adolescence.
Heather and I came together through an adulterous affair. And through that affair we effectively forced family and friends to make decisions, they had to take sides.