Why I Tell My Story

Some of the stories I have shared on this blog are deeply personal. I call them “soul pieces” because, when I share them, it’s like sharing a part of my soul. I write about what I’ve experienced, how it made me feel at the time, and how I feel about it now.  

Some people may wonder why I share such personal stories, to which I respond: 

I believe in being open and vulnerable, because it is the lifeline to healing – for me and for others.

Each of us has memories of experiences that we have always kept secret, that we would only dare recount under hushed tones. Continually hiding and suppressing those memories tends to cause shame, loneliness, and pain. I know this firsthand, because I used to believe that I should leave out parts of my story when I told it, that I should ignore certain feelings. I believed that some things were too shameful to speak of. This was, quite simply, the worst mistake of my life. When I kept those things inside myself, the shame widened, the grief festered, and the loneliness threatened to overtake me. When I let them out, it set me free.

I tell my story because it connects me to others, and I know in my bones I am far from alone.

I tell my story because it heals me, and it opens the door to healing for others.

I tell my story because silence is deadly, sometimes literally.

I tell my story because stories change the world.

I tell my story because it is mine to tell.