Content Warning

This piece contains personal reflections on childhood sexual abuse, trauma, and post-traumatic stress. The experiences are shared thoughtfully and without graphic detail. Please read at your own pace and take care of yourself however you need.

Reclaiming My Voice

A few hours ago, a hike with Aspen felt like exactly what I needed. Now, the sadness has quietly moved back in.

I sit down to write, knowing it won’t be easy. This writing is one of the ways I continue to reclaim my life. I am facing those who caused harm, even though they no longer walk this earth. Still, I woke this morning feeling strong. The sun shimmered, […]

This writing — for now a blog, perhaps later a book — is an act of remembering.

It draws me back through vivid scenes of the past, calling for honesty, courage, and collaboration with those who shared the journey.

This story is different in two important ways.

First, the memories I revisit — particularly those surrounding my mother’s death — come from the perspective of a grieving child, and they are deeply painful to tell.

Second, some of what I reveal about sexual abuse and trafficking will challenge the reputations of individuals once considered beyond reproach. My father’s threats kept our family silent for years. He warned my aunts, my grandfather, and eventually me to say nothing, even […]