Welcome to Surviving, cw--seems that you will be able to do just that quite well.
Not that I want to feel like a loser, but the LBS does have to react to an event that they didn't want. Do we have to stay in victim mode? No! Like you said, cw, it is about acting, then being, strong. Some days you may be better at it than others, but it all comes together. I think the bigger difference is that we have many fewer regrets when it is all said and done. I don't know how a WAS can avoid feeling like a loser, when they do open their eyes (if ever) to see the true consequences of their actions. Why did your MC think it was important for the WAS to NOT feel like this? It is the reality of the sitch.
