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Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.YOU SEE, THE PAST IS PAST and the future is yet to come. That means the future is in your hands - the future entirely depends on the present. That realization gives you a great responsibility.
When all your supports are taken away from you, find what really supports you.
When it starts to rain, let it!
I am a mother, I am a wife, I am a daughter, I am a sister, I am a friend, I am someone.
I have spent a good part of life hiding inwardly, protecting myself from those that I didn't trust. I have lost friendships and limited relationships because of fear. Fear of what might happen if I open up, although I have lost out on life as well, for that same reasoning. I have come to a point where fear no longer controls my emotions, but rather I control them. I am healing, I am Surviving, I am learning about myself. I hope and pray that you can find your path to healing.
I want to thank my Friends at, After Silence, you have given me support without judgement, encouragement when I felt hopeless, laughter when depressed, and sometimes a good kick in the pants. 
I also want to thank my Friends. who have been there for me, in spite of my faults. You have spent many a day or night just listening and being there, whether it be silent support or voicing your opinion. I will always be grateful to you all. 
How could I forget my counselor, she has been there for me whenever I needed her. Even while on vacation at 11:00 in the evening. She is a unique, caring indivual whose sincerity extends beyond just doing her job. 
To my husband, thank you for your patience, understanding, and just being there. I love you 
God Bless,
Heather 
I started this site because I wanted to let other Survivors know that they are not alone. All the writings on here that I have written have my name {Heather} after them. Some content on here was provided by other Survivors, please don't claim any of these as your own. They have very personal meaning to the author.
There are a number of us that have gone through abuse, whether it be sexual, physical, emotional, or verbal, There is healing. Healing from abuse is hard work, it is not easy to face your demons everyday wondering if you'll make it through to tomorrow. But I am proof that you can. All you have to do is take it one day at a time. It takes courage and strength to get out of bed sometimes, I know, I have been there many times, I have lost my faith and at times have lost the courage to fight. Giving up seemed so much easier, but there is something special in Survivors. Something inside of us screams out, you may have taken my innonence, but you will never take my soul. We take what life gives us the good and the bad, we can either die from it or live for it. It is our decesion not the decesion of the abuser, ours and ours alone.
I hope you find this site encouraging, as well as comforting. I want you to find strength in knowing that you aren't alone. We all feel alone at times even when we are surronded by others, that is when we have to dig deep within ourselves and find that courage to continue our fight. Even though we may not know each other we share a common bond, and that bond is Surviving. Why do we Survivor? We Survive because we can. You can break your silence, every time you speak out you give someone else hope, and you are one step closer to Healing. It is your life, how will you chose to live it?
God Bless,
Heather 
The Power of SILENCE...
Listen to the Silence...it has much to say. What does Silence mean to you? How do you deal with the Silence? Is the Silence calm and tranquil, or does it torment you inwardly? These are questions I have asked myself frequently. Most of the time Silence means many things to me.
Silence is a very powerful word, I am going to explain in my own words, how Silence and Survivor intertwine with each other. Victims are silenced by fear, intimidation, shame, guilt, denial, and embarrasment. They are silent because they are told to be, as children we are easily manipulated into believing those in authority over us. We are told that we won't be believed, we are told we deserve it because we are bad, and in some cases we are told that those we love will be hurt physically. Therefore making the decesion to not tell let's silence control us, making us victims.
Let's take a glance at the other aspect of Silence. We can use the Silence as a tool to look inside ourselves and become Survivors. Being in a calm state can cause one to learn many things about themselves or the world around them. When we sit in Silence and reflect upon our lives we can take the opportunity, to begin the transformation needed to heal. A victim is a person or thing made to suffer by a cause which is stated or implied. A Survivor is one who will not accept defeat.
As children we are overpowered by a controlling influence, or someone in authority. As adults we continue that cycle because it is all we have ever known. Our Silence is our safety, if we break that Silence our lives begin to change. That within it's self is scary and overwhelming. At what point do we make the decesion to transform our lives? At what crossroad do we change from victim to Survivor? When do we make the decesion to use the power of Silence for good? To use it for the healing process as oppossed to continueing to die inwardly each day. We need to take that step of taking the power of Silence away from those that used it to serve their purpose, and use it's power to find our true selves. In all reality the power has always been yours and no one else's, when will you begin to use it?
I would like to take a moment and thank my sisters, for giving me some insight into themselves. Your bravery and daily struggles are worth it. It means you are transforming from victim to Survivor and reclaiming the Silence that was taken away from you. How do I do that you may ask, it is done by breaking the SILENCE and by living each day as a SURVIVOR.
God Bless,
Heather
bravenet.com
