Ghost Weeds (Reclamation)
The screen door swung shut with a muffled wooden bang, and darkness opened up behind me. The well-lit inside world disappeared as I turned toward the uncertain night and made a quick calculation. I...
A legacy of abuse: Telling on my brother
A deathbed confession, 1997 Mom unburdens herself only weeks before she dies. She tells me about Mike’s abuse against his children. Her revelations confirm what I’ve known since childhood: My brother Mike is dangerous....
When Mom stood by
Detecting abusers is a complex problem. Who is the real villain in the story? As a survivor of childhood sexual, physical, and emotional abuse, I thought I had it all figured out. I knew...
What needs to be said
What needs to be said that you haven’t yet talked about?” the woman from hospice looked at me. I suspected I knew but remained silent. My mother, a child of the Depression and a cigarette...
An old woman survivor: my story
I reached far back under the bed and pulled the orange out into the light of the small bedroom. The mold had grown since I last touched it. I tapped my small fingers at...
An open letter from a survivor
To other survivors: You are not alone. Not now, not ever. Crawl if you have to, but keep moving forward in the knowledge that you are supported, loved, believed, and not at fault for what...
Ghost stories
There's this trick to surviving trauma. You become a ghost. If you leave your body long enough, you can't feel anything. There's no exact pinpoint of this moment that I left my body. I...
Deep in the heart
We had taken a drive-away car from San Francisco to El Paso, but our final destination was San Antonio. We were two women in our early 20s; it was 1976 and we hadn’t planned...
May 5th is Silence the Shame Day
May 5, 2021, is National Silence the Shame Day, a day that aims to end the stigma surrounding mental health. The hope is by having conversations and bringing awareness about mental health and wellness...
Recommended Reading
The acknowledgement
I’m trying to be gentle with myself, but what if I never believe my body when it tells me what happened?
Have the time of your life!*
*Common side effects may include but are not limited to: harassment, stalking, getting drugged, passing out in...
To the fathers who do not abuse their daughters
On my street I am witness to the young men who carry the pink-flowered backpacks of little girls, who...
