Your messages have brought tears to my eyes, eyes which must have been blind. I came to NZ in 1956, 20 years old and thought I was in paradise! But now I see that my paradise was your hell and I feel for you all. I just hope it helps you to put your feelings here, on Gups so the rest of us know that life was not all peaches and cream. Thanks for sharing. Love and hugs to you all, Pixie

Dear Margaret, Helen Rose and Funny Cat. We are four members of the 'Brett Home Survival Club'! A time of our lives we'd prefer hadn't happened. But it could have been worse. So many children were and still are abused. I suppose you could say we were lucky... it wasn't our own families that were abusing and mistreating us. Thank God for small mercies. I really feel for the little souls who are mistreated by the ones who brought them into this world, for there is no escape from their own families. How that must feel weighs heavy on my mind. I suspect, McPani, if you are still subscribed to this discussion and reading this, that you were a victim of abuse as a child. So many children afraid to speak up, afraid of their own families. I find that absolutely horrifying. I hear the silent screams of so many small victims, it makes what happened at the Brett Home seem insignificant. After I left the Brett Home at eight years old, I led a relatively normal, if somewhat poverty stricken life, with a mum and stepdad in Masterton. It wasn't a perfect life, but the freedom was intoxicating.

snipe.helen rose im funny cat love a club.pixie im ok my live is ok i put a mask for long time and pick little by little to got throw.i no my child hood was taken and when a was foster my teens,but new zealand is lovely place if you there to pant it with out people in you would no it to look me today even the horrors back then.thay where old woman not married that didnt no how to give kids love hugs give then a hit like a pup hit it and it will fear you that want there people of god.i was so jumpie.i dope of a pin and froze for years so i put the mask only place hide.funny cat ..helen

Poor baby, Helen. (((HUGS)))
What country are you from?

Hi Pixie, oops, it's you who's not from good old NZ. Thought it was Helen Rose. Sweetie, you are in paradise, though you know that of course. Nothing is perfect, even in paradise... especially people.
What doesn't destroy you makes you stronger!
Thanks for the hugs, can never get enough!

With my heart I will love you,with my mind, I will think of you.For you ,who has suffered,may God ease your pain,for yesterday was painful,today is thoughtful but tommorow will be wonderful.Have faith in yourselves,as it is only you that will find your own answers.

Mona, that is absolutely beautiful. Your words were like rain on a dry plant. I feel nurtured, and I'll bet anyone who reads your post will feel the same. Thank you.

TS, when you mentioned you were a surviver of Brett Home, last week when we had coffee - I didnt realy take much notice, and was unaware of the goings on there. Now after reading all this topic - I see that you ARE a survivor. What a horrible experience for you all.
We dont appreciate how lucky we are some times. My parents seperated when I was 9yrs old. Me and my 2 sisters stayed with dad. (My 4yr old sister was sent to my aunty for a while as Dad worked.) My other sister was 6yrs. It was hard without a mum, but we coped - and even though Dad wasn't very good at showing love, we knew he did love us. I cant remember my dad ever raising a hand to us - he was very quiet and very shy, but he did the best he could for us. Plus we had extended family who helped out too. Reading about your stay in Brett House, I realise how lucky we were.

i rember when i was fosted out from brett home, It was awful the faimly i was with lived in the same street as my own, I wasnt allowed to go there. while driveing pst in their car i saw my eldest brother outside. they made me look the other way. I dont rember anymore of this time, I stoped talking, I was then returned to brett home for more torture. But i found if i remained silent i was left alone, The one thing i couldnt control was my bed wetting, I would try to remain awake so it didnt happen,But it always did,

hi all helen here -funny cat was talking to 1 of my sister that was in the brett home talking heaps about the hell house.about birthday there when you would give samething form your locker to sameone.and that the end of the girls dorm was 2 big wall drows that where allways lock and one thay where open.and we look inside and where was heaps of clothes and toys.well I had to invergate aye opening boxs my eyes down out....thay where all new thing .well i got court my the dorm woman miss akersion I was made to all polishing of the silver and all the girl shoe over and over till you should see your face in the shoes.olive tweed on the floor cleaning...sitting the big dinner room 4 hours i rebel on bells been rong .helen...funny cat''ps remmber the the garden down the back the killer old man down there lol

thankyou 4 the hugs and happy easter all hug HUGSSSS

Well hi all hope you had a good easter.I do remmber the easters at the brett home.its was heaven,I remmber two man samething on there scooter and to the tako beach to get the best ice cream on cone on the back of there scooter and screened.I didnt no who there two where,i go over there to the shop wish is the same today and ice cream.I did find out 18 year later that it was my brother and a other family member that same and saw as.Thay didnt tell me a thing about the 7 other sister and brother.and my best in the home was one of my siter,it wasnt the thing to do.Iol I remmber when a tv was there dont watch no movie or kids thing.we all had to sitting very very and watch the Queen going on about her birthday.One of the girls from the home gave flower to her.she was picked to do this in the 1960s.The home have same good things the rules where hard,no crying and no ran.show how to put your arms behind you a all time as you would get hitting.i was always in fear.my finger were hit so bad cause of years of hard hits with the old serving spoonsThe thay where broken where not grow right.and that only cause i didnt hold my knife and fark right from the age of 3 until l left,sorry if there typo.funny cat [helen rose]