Adam and I had been together for six years, planning to marry next month. But during a visit to my parents’ house, everything changed. Adam discovered their unconventional marriage—a secret I’d kept—and it rocked his trust in me.
It all began with a visit to my childhood home. Despite Adam’s preference for a hotel, I convinced him to stay for nostalgia’s sake. The visit started well, with family meals and laughter, but that night, Adam witnessed something shocking—my mother kissing another man. Horrified, he demanded an explanation, assuming infidelity.
I had dreaded this moment for years. My parents had an open marriage, and I had kept it hidden, unsure how to tell Adam. When he confronted me, I tried to explain, but he was too upset. His own trauma from his mother’s infidelity clouded everything. Feeling betrayed, he left for a hotel, needing time to process.
The rest of the visit was tense. My parents apologized, but the damage was done. On the drive home, we decided to seek therapy to work through the trust issues and Adam’s unresolved fears. Now, we’re talking more openly, trying to heal and move forward together.
If you see a man with one painted fingernail, here’s what it means
When Elliot Costello and a group of other people visited Cambodia, he had an encounter with a young girl named Thea.
Little did Elliot know that this encounter would have an impact so profound on him that it would help start a movement whose goal is to end sexual abuse against children.
Namely, Thea always had nail polish on her tiny nails. One day, as she and Elliot chatted, she asked to paint one of his nails. He agreed and was happy to speak to the chatty girl, but he then learned that she was once a victim of sexual abuse.
“As she painted one of my nails, I assured her I would always keep it that way to remember her, and by extension, her suffering,” Elliot said.
This motivated Elliot to try and make positive change among men so that less and less children fall victims of sexual abuse.
That is when he came up with the movement called #PolishedMan where men put nail polish on one of their nails. That one nail represents the one in five children who will be victims of sexual violence.
Polished Man works towards ending sexual violence against children. According to the organization, “being a Polished Man means challenging violent behavior and language, both locally and globally.”
Elliot believes that since men are responsible for 96% of this type of violence against children globally, they should be catalyst for change if we are ever to see an end to the abuse of innocent children.
The goal with the painted nail isn’t just to remind people of the number of children who are abused every single day, but to serve as a conversation starter about this reality, leading to new ideas about prevention. He also hopes that people will start donating to “support educational programs and resources for child survivors of abuse,” as per APlus.
We hope that more men, including celebrities would be willing to join this movement.
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