I've been going back through my life, looking at where I once was to where I am today. It is amazing what you can learn about yourself when you revisit the past and take a walk down memory lane. For me, taking a walk down memory lane has actually opened my eyes to a lot of things about myself that I didn't see before. For a long time, after I left home at 17 to escape the abuse, I really didn't want to own up to what ha...
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This is something I wrote for my dad. Although I'm an adult now and on my own, I still feel the effects of the abuse I went through in my childhood. I've struggled with anger issues due to the events from the past. I've battled anxiety attacks, flashbacks, self infliction, among other things because of the scars I bear from those days. The hardest thing for me to do was to learn to forgive my father for what he did. It ...
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I am finding myself really expressing my emotions through poetry lately. I guess that's better than having writer's block :). I wrote this as a way of saying goodbye to my childhood and my marriage. Awhile back, I did try to get my family back together. I tried to stay on speaking terms with my parents, but unfortunately, they did not want to put any effort into getting the family back together. In fact, they refused to allow my brother to go home a few years ago for Christmas when he took th...
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So it seems to me that other survivors want to make surviving a competiton, compare stories and even compare the work they do as well as attempt to analyze other survivors and tell them how they should live and heal. Well, I think I've been silent long enough on my thoughts about all that. First, just because people don't cry about what they went through does not mean that they don't feel the pain from their past. Every...
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When it comes to my life, I know that I have so much to learn still. One of the things that I was recently asked by a friend was why am I so angry all the time? I think that question really made me step back and start to re examine my life. It just really struck close to home when I was asked that. I guess for a long time I didn't want to admit that I had been abused or that I had endured so much pain in my life. Because my father would never allow me to express emotions or feelings, I pushed...
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Letters From Survivors Book Project Update

Hey guys,

I know it's been awhile since I mentioned anything about the book project I am doing, Letters From Survivors. For those of you who are new to R.A.M.'s site, awhile ago I had posted something about survivors writing letters to themselves, to their abusers, or to other survivors. I know that it was very helpful f...
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When we think of role models and heroes, we often think of those who are out there in the spotlight, making a difference. Sometimes we name those leaders throughout the centuries who have paved the way for us and left their footprints on society. Regardless, we seem to always take note and pay the most attention to people who have made a name for themselves and are doing great things in life. However, there are many heroes who never get recognized for the work that they do and who work behind...
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This poem is to celebrate all my survivor friends who have made a difference in my life and have touched the lives of so many out there with their compassionate and caring nature. This goes out to the Rising Above Magazine staff, my wonderful staff made up of 8 beautiful individuals; to my brother Michael who has always been there for me and is my best friend; to Delilah who is not only my brother's girlfriend but also a close friend of mine and one of the sweetest people I know; to Rebecca w...
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This is a repost for my friend Sharon Nichols and her assistant, Anita Boutwell, who are heading up the Million Survivor March. For more information on the March and how you can help get involved and volunteer, visit their official website at www.milliionsurvivormarch.com. You can also add them on MySpace at www.myspace.com/mssharonn. This is a great opportunity to help make a difference and help protect our children from abuse, keeping them safe from harm. I know that they are still in need ...
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This poem was actually inspired by the song Both Sides Of The Story by Phil Collins. I was listening to the song earlier and thinking about how people don't often hear both sides of the story. Instead, they seem to make their own assumptions, hear what they want to hear, and believe what they want to believe about someone without hearing them out and letting them have a chance to speak. I know that even on here, when I share my own story of survival, people don't always hear or read what I am...
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The key chain that I have says one word, BELIEVE. I bought it awhile back to symbolize a new era in my life. For me, this simple key chain with the word BELIEVE holds so much meaning to me. When I look at it, I am reminded of all the trials I have endured in my past to make it this far in the present. It also serves to remind me of the future I have ahead of me and to keep holding on even when tough challenges come my way.

One of the things that I struggled with for the longest time was my sel...
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I Am...

This is just something that came to mind as I was thinking about all the parts that survivors play in life. These are the different things that I believe describe Survivors and all that they do when it comes to rising above and helping out others in life as we create a positive change in this world and make a difference in the lives of those around us.


I ...
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The Girl Within

People give me way too much credit in life and put me up too high. I wrote this so people can see that I am just a girl who is still fighting to survive in life and that I am far from perfect. I struggle with things in my own life every single day due to the pain of my past. I've lost myself before, losing sight of everything that was important t...
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On numerous occasions, one of the questions that I have been asked is how I began healing and what I steps I took to start speaking out and sharing my story with other survivors and victims out there. Honestly there were a few major steps I had to take when making the decision to finally break my silence and start speaking out. My childhood definitely motivated me and inspired me to step forward to reach out to others since I never had anyone to talk to when I was going through the abuse at h...
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