Shedding Light on Darkness

Do you ever just want to shout it out, or go public in some way? Tell everyone who thinks they know you that actually, they have no clue. Do you ever wish that they knew?

I do. I get tired of the secrets and lies.

It isn’t my fault that I cannot. I am not afraid of being open, I am not afraid of others knowing. Instead it’s the lack of control once it’s out there. What they will think and what they will say, what would they do? From bitter experience I know that it won’t be what I want or need.

A little while ago, someone commented on my blog, supporting my need to be open, encouraging me to just say it, to tell everyone. This person shared the positive experience she had from doing that. I was glad for her and heartbroken at the same time. I…

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DV Awareness: Rape and Sexual Assault Awareness

A beautiful expression of the pain…..

The Abuse Expose' with Secret Angel

For October’s Domestic Violence Month, I want to share this song video that I found. Rape and sexual assault cause deep wounds to the victims as they experience a violence that destroys part of them… deep withing their being where human eyes don’t see. It steals their innocence and instills fear.

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I Was Raped While Studying Abroad — and Blamed for It. This Is #MyStory.

*Trigger warning: sexual violence*

Four years ago I was privileged to spend a semester studying abroad in Rome, Italy. What a beautiful, historically rich, and deliciously decadent city to be living in! However, my joyous adventure was cut short when three men vacationing from Barcelona raped me after we met a local bar. They weren’t brutally violent, but they ignored my attempts to stop their physical advances and each “took their turn” while I lay silently crying.

The next day I knew I needed help—I needed to go home. When I approached the only professor I had and described to him what had happened his response was, “That’s what happens to women when they go to bars.” I wasn’t allowed to go home and finished the semester abroad.

When I got back to the USA I reached out to my parents looking for help dealing with the emotional and physical…

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