Sad Mum,

I can relate to your pain, and how you react to the past we share. I was threatened too, with a gun. I was bound. Today, I simply can't stand the color of the walls of that room. I can't stand anyone with their complexion, and their names sicken me. I can't stand to be touched, no matter how I crave a loving touch.

Today, I also work hard with some organizations to help other survivors and to prevent others from becoming victims. When I'm doing that, it's when I most feel like surviving and when I most feel alive.

We deserved better. But we also deserve today to allow ourselves to take a step forward each day to reclaim our lives and our souls. So I force myself to smile until I find something to smile about, and I cry when I feel like it. I was too afraid to cry when I was being abused. I've taken that much back.

Be well,

mtd