When was your first sexual experience? Was it kind, gentle and consensual? For so many, including myself, this was not the case. April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. This is a hard month for so many suffering in silence. Reliving the nightmare, the feelings, the emotions of what was taken from us. For me, as someone who has been assaulted numerous times every week for over 39 years, starting with my mother and her satanic obsession with my body, led to her sending a varie

An 18-year-old girl was raped by her 45-year old driving instructor who was taking her to her very first driving lesson. He took her to an isolated road, pulled her out of the car, removed her jeans and forcefully raped her. She reported the rape and the perpetrator was arrested and prosecuted. He was then convicted of rape and sentenced to jail. Years later, he appealed the conviction claiming that the sex was consensual, leading the Italian Supreme Court to overturn the con

Recently while out with my daughter celebrating her birthday we decided to stop and grab dinner before going home. While we were waiting for our food she was visiting with a previous teacher and overheard part of a conversation that her grandmother came up and had with me. This resulted in my daughter shutting down and not wanting to celebrate. After we left and got home, she would barely eat and when going to bed asked me, “If the celebration for her birthday with friends on

The history of women is filled with champions who would never consider that title as a part of their legacy. They just showed up, they invested time and energy into what needed justice and light and in doing so empowered generations and communities. Legacies last. It is indeed a rare experience to see what can occur when you surround yourself with women that will champion you and mention your name in a room full of opportunities. Recently it has been my honor to share and p

We have all seen the commercials of animals living in horrific situations abandoned and rejected, starving and chained. For just $19 a month, 63 cents a day you can “save an animal and not stand by while they suffer.” I love animals, I am against any cruelty and people should be held accountable. Help me understand though, why we can feel good about throwing 63 cents a day toward that cause, but judge and turn a blind eye to the atrocities of human trafficking. Help me unde

They say humans have a deeply rooted need for connection in our biology, that we are inherently social creatures. For the longest time I had a hard time with this concept, and to be honest more days than not still struggle with this. You see that was the furthest thing I ever wanted or knew I would end up needing the most. Growing up I could not think of a single person who did not want something from me or to use my body. I learned from a very young age that it was me agains

The Starfish Story: There is a story about a person who was walking along a beach where a storm had washed up thousands of starfish, leaving them stranded. They start picking up individual starfish and gently tossing them back into the sea. An observer questions the action, pointing out the vast number of starfish and the impossibility of saving them all. The person picks up another starfish, throws it into the waves, and says, "I made a difference to that one." This story h

I never had a childhood like others. From my earliest memories at 2 or 3 years old there has always been extreme violence and torture inflicted on me. I often wonder why I am still here. I continue to live through more than my share of abuse that has almost killed me on numerous occasions. Growing up I was manipulated to believe that it was “normal” for this to happen to unwanted girls from my mother and that it was the only way to show pure love from my father. When I got ma