Share Your Story

The world is a scary place.  It is full of tragedy, terror, sadness and pain.  Everybody suffers in some form or another, whether it be physical  mental or emotional; there is suffering.  The pain and suffering I felt growing up might be different from the pain other girls and women face in their lives.  I was molested as a child by my own father, which began a cyclical downward path of abuse from other men in my life.  

Until I was around 8 years old, I felt safe.  I felt like I could trust anyone.  I felt pure and undying love from my father, until one day, he chose to turn his fatherly love for me into something tainted and impure.  His love twisted into something wicked and cruel that no one, especially a child, should have to experience.  He abused my fragile, innocent, untouched body for his own pleasure and gain, and my trust disappeared.  I no longer felt safe in my own home.  

When I shared what my father did to me with my mother, she didn't believe me.  She confronted my father about it, and he lied to her; he told her I dreamed it.  From then on, things changed.  My mother didn't look at me the same, and my father became bitter and angry with me.  The sexual abuse turned into emotional and physical abuse.  He hated me, or at least it felt that way.  He no longer asked me to sit on his lap or spend time with him.  He yelled at me, called me names, hit me and punished me for things that weren't my fault.  His hatred toward me pushed me further away from my family and into the arms of men at a very young age. 

I could go on and on about the different men in my life who I ran to for comfort and "love", but that's not the story.  The story goes like this:
My innocence was taken from me at a very young age and I have felt pain and suffering for the majority of my life because of it.  I have made decisions  I regret and have hurt many people, including myself, because of it.  But change can happen.  Change DID happen.  It is a constant upward battle, but through prayer, counseling, and healthy love from my family and peers, I have changed.  The hatred and anger I felt in my life has turned into love, the pain has turned into promise, and the tragedy from my abuse has become the foundation of a greater cause today.  The story is about TODAY.  Today I am healed.  Today I have hope. And TODAY I am using that pain and MY story to help other girls and women who have suffered from similar abuse.  
Restoration Life Foundation is a non-profit organization I organized to help free girls and women from the mental and emotional pain and suffering caused by sexual abuse.  

What is your story?  Do you suffer from the effects of sexual abuse?  Have you been freed from the emotional trauma of your abuse?  I would love to hear your story if you would care to share. Please contact Restoration Life Foundation at 1-866-350-LIFE (5433) if you would like to learn more about RLF or visti our website at www.RestorationLifeFoundation.org.  

I would like to publish your story in my monthly newsletter.  There are more people than you think who suffer from the same abuse, and it is important to help people understand that there IS hope and a beautiful life awaiting them outside of the mental trauma from their experience. 

To share your story and help change lives, email us at info@restorationlifefoundation.org .