Trigger warning: Sexual assault, child abuse Gardening, for some people, is quite relaxing. Being in nature, hearing the birds chirping away, the sun shining. For me, it’s always been something more. Whenever I am watering my gardens or weeding, I remember a time when I felt incredibly conflicted. I was a teenager on the verge… Read More You Abused Me. But I Would Still Save Your Life.
Trigger warning: Child abuse, sexual assault Prior to my current relationship, I have been in love with 4 other people. With each person, I have felt that I could see myself spending the rest of my life with them. With each person, I hold positive memories of us laughing, going out to different places, sharing… Read More I Know That You Loved Me. I Just Didn’t Love Myself Enough
Trigger warning: Child abuse, sexual assault. Last week was by far, one of the most emotional weeks of my life. I had been building myself up for something, knowing full well that that day would leave me feeling anxious, stressed, emotional, and confused. That day was all those emotions and more. But I have now… Read More The Beginning of the Rest of My Life
On 7th March this year, my life completely changed. I have not been the same person since this day, both for better and worse. On this very day, I was made aware that I was a close contact of a positive Covid-19 case. I knew immediately, upon hearing their results, that there was no way… Read More How Covid Isolation Helped Me Find Myself
Trigger warning: Sexual assault, child abuse Not too long ago, I couldn’t look at a tub of Vaseline without remembering what you did with it and where – when I was only 11 years old. I couldn’t use Vaseline, it had to be lip balm, chapstick, anything else, because that yellow tub took me back… Read More You Took My Innocence Away but I Forgive You
Trigger warning: Child abuse, sexual assault, suicide There was a heartbreaking time, many years ago, when I couldn’t sleep without worrying that I’d be woken by a real boogie man in the night. So I’d lie awake, very late into the night, doing whatever I could, watching TV, listening to music, anything just to avoid… Read More You Are Not Defined By Your Mental Health Struggles: Finding Strength During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Many of us feel pretty sure of ourselves. We see another person make a “bad” decision, engage in some reckless behaviour, or act out of character – and we are quick to say “I would never do something like that.” We can’t help but judge others for decisions we “clearly” wouldn’t make ourselves. But in… Read More A Bad Decision Doesn’t Make You a Bad Person
I’m in the process of writing my first book – a memoir – and at times, it can be very triggering. In order to write a book that really moves people, that helps them to feel every emotion that I was feeling… I’m going back in time to re-create moments in all their rawness and… Read More When You Are Loved Like You Deserve
For the past few months, I’ve been struggling with the loss of someone significant in my life. It wasn’t the end of a life, but instead, the end of a friendship. And the grief, at times, has been incredibly overwhelming. As much as I understand that this person can no longer be a part of… Read More Living with a Hole in Your Heart
When I was 17 years old, the flu hit me pretty hard. I was bed ridden and felt so unwell I’d piled on layers and layers of clothes to keep me warm. At that time, I was getting to know someone who expressed a lot of concern at how unwell I was feeling. He asked… Read More When Life Comes Full Circle
I’ve been thinking about choices a lot lately. Who I choose to be around, how I choose to live my life, my career choices. And I’ve thought about how, it’s so easy to feel regret towards the choices we’ve made. It’s also easy to feel regret towards the choices others have made and how they… Read More I didn’t choose to be a victim of child sexual abuse. But I choose everyday how I live the rest of my life.