Silence Welcomed

“I’ve realized that I deserve a man . . . that’s not what I mean,” she said, silence interrupting our conversation.

“You’re worthy?” I asked.

“Yeah, that’s it. I’m worthy of a man who will wipe the drool from my mouth if I have a stroke and put me ahead of himself.”

Tears filled my eyes. I’ve known this woman for most of my life. For the past twelve years, when she first broke her silence, she’s welcomed me into her quiet process to heal from sexual abuse.

“Do you know how significant that is for you as a survivor?” I asked.

“Yes,” she said through her tears.

And once again silence interrupted our conversation. We wiped our tears. We savored the moment.

A silence most welcomed.

Sexual abuse injects poisonous lies into its victims’ hearts and minds. “You’re not worthy” is one of them.

Why the Stranger Isn’t the Biggest Danger

Stranger danger. It gives us chills and keeps us up at night when we hear of a child abduction on the news. But what percentage of offenders who molest children are strangers?

It may surprise you to learn that 90 – 95% of children, who are molested, are violated by someone they know and trust. Of the 90 – 95%, approximately 34% are violated by a family member, and approximately 59% are violated by an acquaintance.

We must understand this in order to best protect our children. We must teach our children what sexual abuse is and what they should do if they encounter it.

And if we don’t . . . the above statistics should give us chills and keep us awake tonight.

Whether or Not

“I never told. I wonder . . . did he molest again?”

It’s a question I’ve heard phrased in different ways from survivors. It’s another layer of guilt a survivor should never have to bear.

Whether a survivor told or not, whether their perpetrator molested again or not—molestation is never a child’s fault.

Breathe, Breathe, Push!

Today Carolyn is in the final stage of labor. No! She's not having another child, Silly. She's giving birth to a website. And just like a woman in the pushing stage of childbirth, she has few words. Oh, she's doing some moaning and groaning, but she just can't seem to put words together to form coherent sentences.

So check back next week for a birth announcement, complete with pictures, and perhaps a few coherent  sentences—unless she develops a case of post-partum mind-mush. That's been known to happen.

In the meantime, if your life is not what it's all cracked up to be, lay some more eggs.

And have a blessed Easter!