On the Eve of 39: A Survivor’s Story of Endurance, Healing, and Hope

Tomorrow, I turn 39.

I was around three years old the first time I was abused. My grandfather was the first of many. The abuse continued until I was five, when my cousin became my next abuser. At six, that abuse shifted again, this time, at the hands of my own sister.

By ten, my brother took over. At twelve, another cousin manipulated me into believing we were in love. At sixteen, I was raped by a stranger.

From the age of 33 to 38, the abuse came from the person I called my husband. And yet, on the last day of my 38^th year, I look in the mirror and feel something powerful: I am amazed by the woman I’ve become. I have compassion and empathy for people, even my abusers. I stand to scream, YOU ARE NOT ALONE!