Soon after I got internet on my home computer I began to surf the net, looking for websites about sexual abuse recovery, not only so I could read and learn, but so that I could be reminded that there are many others with stories similar to my own - that I wasn't the only one. I wondered if anyone else ever felt like it was all their own fault. I wondered if anyone else felt forever soiled or ruined. I wondered if anyone else felt unforgiveable.
But, because of the shame and the secrecy, I felt that I had to wonder these things anonymously, where I could peek into the story of another without any obligation to tell my own. In my early twenties, I went to a support group for survivors of sexual abuse, a pretty big step in itself, but was told that I couldn't keep coming unless I was willing to contribute. I wasn't. But before they kicked me out, hearing the stories of others, evoked the story within me, even if it was still unspeakable. Story evokes story, and with each telling, a little more light creeps in, and the darkness loses its power, giving way to hope.
So, why a blog? I want to provide a safe place for story to evoke story, where the unspeakable kind is welcome, and where hope just might allow a voice or two to break through when they're ready.
1 comment:
Thanks Anne, for sharing your story and making space to listen to others. May many others find themselves no longer alone and gain courage to voice their own story when they want to.
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