“Two or Three Things I know for sure, and one is that I would rather go naked than wear the coat the world as made for me.” At sixteen years old, this young lady stood strong in the presence of her friends. She turned to her stepfather and announced bravely, “You can’t break me and you’re never going to touch me again.” (p. 68) Those are very powerful words coming from the mouth of a young 16-year-old girl who has suffered from abuse her whole life.
She talks of her mother’s abuse, her aunt’s abuse, her cousin’s abuse and her own abuse. Yet, on this day, her birthday, she is able to bravely and so powerfully tell this monster that he will not break her – spirit or body – she will survive. She acknowledges that statistically she should be incapable of love or trust or passion as so many victims of abuse become. However, she is determined that she will never end up that way. She will survive. She will love and be loved.
“I took my sex back, my body. I claimed myself and remade my life. Only when I knew I belonged to myself completely did I become capable of giving myself to another, of finding joy in desire, pleasure in our love, power in this body no one else owns.” (pp. 69-70) These are powerful revelations of someone who has suffered so much pain.
She goes on to say that she knew as a young girl that what was happening to her and what had happened to her mother and other family members was wrong. She knew that she would get away from all of it and never, ever allow someone to treat her that way again. She was a very strong young woman. She refused to be a victim. She would not give up herself and become what he was trying to make of her. She was strong. She would survive. She would not wear the coat of pity -- the coat of a victim.
No comments:
Post a Comment