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...
You can’t heal trauma with a spiritual bypass
No amount of forgiveness, meditation or crystals was going to put that genie back in the bottle.
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...
Where the grass is really greener
I feared there would be nothing left when I walked away from all the systems I knew so well.
R is for rape
Even in my own mind I cannot say it. It remains the “R” word or, euphemistically, “the incident.” I know, intellectually, that the R stands for “rape,” but I can’t say it.
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...
The gift of breathing
As we move through our positions, I hear my therapist’s words in my head: “Inhale deeply through your nose as if you’re trying to smell freshly baked chocolate chip cookies. Then breathe out of your mouth so strongly as if you’re trying to blow out birthday candles across the room.” In. Out. Mindful breathing. Here we go.
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...
