What is the truth that you want to speak?
I spoke mine in my just-published memoir, Mystery of Memory: Telling My Truth, Standing My Ground.
The following quote describes what propelled me to move forward and complete this difficult journey:
“Confront the dark parts of yourself, and work to banish them with illumination and forgiveness. Your willingness to wrestle with your demons will cause your angels to sing.”-August Wilson
For years I’ve kept an untold story inside me for fear of confronting my own dark parts – where the truth of a hushed secret was denied. Finally, about four years ago, I started the process of acknowledging and wrestling with these dark parts. I knew that if I didn’t bring them to light and forgive myself and others, I would never be whole and complete.
The product of this journey is a memoir which tells my story of being an incest survivor struggling to find my voice and believe in myself. I started with self-doubt and, through this writing process, experienced internal validation, found my voice and was able to speak my truth.
One out of every three-to-four girls are sexually abused. Most of them are conditioned to forget it, normalize it, or to doubt that it even occurred. My story reveals a personal journey of how families and society actively deny girls and women their voice and invalidate their reality. It parallels stories of marginalized individuals and groups whose truth is denied by society and others, often even themselves.
This book follows on the heels of my first book, Repairing the Quilt of Humanity: A Metaphor for Healing and Reparation.
My hope is that my memoir will empower others to speak out, stand their ground and be heard.
What is the untold story you’re keeping hidden? What are the dark parts inside of yourself that you need to confront?
If you’re interested in learning about moving from self-doubt to clarity, confidence and completion click here.
Always so amazed by your courage, intelligence and talents. Love you Deb Howard.
Hi Deborah, what a blessing. Good to hear you are still going strong. Let SUE support your book by adding it to the book club. Or let me know if you would like to be featured.
Kudos to you for your unwavering pursuit of self. You were and are a colleague of depth and distinction.
Deb, you forever inspire and move me towards clarity, confidence, and completion. Time and distance have not changed that. Congratulations on the publication of your memoir.
Deb, thank you for your usual wise and compassionate words. I look forward to reading your book, which no doubt will have those same qualities. And although it has been a while, you remain in my heart. I admire you, respect you and love you, dear friend.
One out of six boys too. So unbelievably common, this horror. Kudos for you for speaking out and raising awareness!
Thank you Peter and Michael for your kind words. Love to you both.
Thank you Linda
Hey Gloria, thanks for the offer – I’ll be in touch. :)
Hey Sam, thanks for pointing out the incidence of sexual assault on boys as well.