Dramatic Sigh

Last year, I came across a site called Violence Unsilenced. Survivors of abuse, whether it’s sexual, physical, emotional, or otherwise, and survivors of sexual assault write their stories. I can’t explain it any better than the About page, but basically the purpose is to give people a safe place to talk about things they may not be able to say anywhere else, and to show that abuse isn’t limited to a certain race, income level, gender, etc.

When I found the site, I couldn’t stop reading and thanking god that I was so lucky to have grown up loved and safe. I’ve been verbally abused, yes, but because my parents raised me to believe that no one had the right to make me feel that way, I walked away after only a few months. I didn’t write about that because I’ve done it before and I just don’t think he deserves any more of my time or thoughts. But I did want to write something because I think the site is really important, so I wrote about my mom, and how, if it wasn’t for my sister, I would have suffered a similar fate. This isn’t a plea for sympathy – I don’t need it, I was lucky – but just a small thank you to the two most important women in my life, and a reminder that no matter how much you think you know, it’s way too easy to forget to protect yourself.

So here it is. 

P.S. I originally wrote this last August. The site has inspired so many people that the waiting list to be posted is several months long, and I really want to thank Maggie for allowing me to be on her amazing site.