The Caged Bird Does Sing: A Guide for Women?s Empowerment and Healing from Childhood Sexual Abuse
Everything that I have written about, came from my life experiences. Many days I felt like life was not worth living. If you are feeling that way right now, I want to encourage you that there is a new dimension of life that is waiting for you. I wrote this book for individuals who have been affected by childhood sexual abuse. I know it can be hard to believe that life will go on after your innocence is robbed from you. I searched for answers, applied them to my life and now I am sharing them with you along with my personal thoughts, feelings, and experiences. My hope is that my story will help you recover from the hurt and pain. I am here today to show you that you can survive. It is possible to live a normal life and enjoy your life. You are beautiful, and you are a diamond. Your past does NOT determine your future. For a while, I didn’t think I would survive, let alone live long enough to tell my story. I made it, and so can you. Through the years I have experienced things that I would not wish on my worst enemy. I have struggled with low self-esteem and self-worth for many years. I have felt as though there was no place for me on the earth. I became trapped by my own thoughts and there seemed to be no way out. I tried to find love for myself through others, and that soon became my weak point. It was like the world was revolving, but I was not moving. Over the past two years I started composing a book of my life. In it I am taking the world on a journey through the life of a person that was abused physically, sexually and emotionally. I want to tell my story and show people that abuse is real and it lurks everywhere. Abuse has no set age, race or gender. I want to be a voice for young girls who are afraid to tell. I want to become a motivational speaker and talk to girls about abuse and how to overcome it. One thing I have learned throughout my journey of healing is that the first thing you must do is forgive yourself. Often, we blame ourselves for things that we have no control over. We often wonder why bad things happen to good people. It is a question that has plagued humanity for all time. Even though I did not have an answer, I can tell you that unfortunate things happen in our lives to make us appreciate the good, and show us how strong we are. The abuse that you have suffered does not define who you are, or the person that you are becoming. Do not let what has happened to you in the past keep you from what God has in store for your future. I would have never guessed that I would be using my story to help someone else. I often felt embarrassed by my abuse, but now it has become one of the greatest gifts God has given me. Like I did, you can turn your storm into a rainbow.
