I AM HERE TO TELL THE STORY I WAS ONCE TOO AFRAID TO SPEAK 

My story is one of survival, trauma, addiction, recovery, and the reclaiming of my voice. 

There were things that happened to me that I did not choose. There were times when fear, intimidation, and circumstances made me feel that speaking the truth was not safe. 

For years, I carried the weight of what happened in silence. 

I fought to survive when I did not know how to do anything else. 

I AM CHOOSING TO SPEAK NOW. 

Not because my past is perfect.
Not because I have never made mistakes.
But because having a history of addiction or struggling to survive does not mean a person loses their right to be heard. 

My past is part of my story, but it does not define my worth. 

I am learning to separate the mistakes I made from the things that were done to me. 

I am learning that survival is not something I should be ashamed of. 

This is my story.
This is my voice.
And this is where I begin telling the truth.