BY: LIZ HARDIE
They did not know.
A young girl, full of life, confidence, hope, worth
With an amazing mother, father, brother, and sister
She was loved and cared for, protected always by them
No one was prepared for the evil that hurt her
Sexually assaulted at the age of eleven
Raped at the age of fifteen
Raped at the age of sixteen
Family could not protect her, couldn’t intervene
Physically abused at the age of sixteen
She used drugs and alcohol to cope with the pain
Many days she wondered if life was worth living
Family could not protect her, couldn’t intervene
Verbally abused at the age of sixteen
Mentally abused at the age of nineteen
She became bulimic, still using drugs and alcohol to cope
Family could not protect her, couldn’t intervene
She finally sought help from a therapist and doctor
Therapy for her bulimia, medication for her depression
She kept the sexual, physical, mental, and verbal abuse and bulimia a secret
Family could not protect her, they did not know, and she didn’t need the questions
Verbally and mentally abused at the age of twenty-two
His nights of drinking turned to threats of killing them both
She felt controlled by him, so she stayed
Family could not protect her, they did not know, and she felt she could deal with it alone
Verbally and mentally abused at the age of twenty-nine
Love bombs, gaslighting, manipulations, broken promises, cheating
Again, she was controlled, trapped in her own home, so she stayed
Family could not protect her, they did not know, and she had lived a life of concealing
She was told she showed no emotions or that she showed too much emotion
She was fighting a battle that no one knew about, always hiding her internal struggles
Consistently asked if she was on her meds or if she needed her meds changed
Family could not protect her, they did not know, she concealed her pain for the happiness of others
For over twenty years, increase, decrease, stop, try herbal supplements, therapy time to time
The words of those around her, even those who loved her, did not help
Her depression was misunderstood, and her trauma was ignored because it was unknown
Family could not protect her, they did not know, but she realized her secrets were ruining her total health
She allowed her family to know the secrets, the abuse she had concealed for all those years
Self-care, therapy, and consistency in her meds finally got her to see the brightness in the shadows
Instead of feeling respected and loved, she felt depressed and withdrawn, so her marriage ended
Family could not protect her, but now they know everything, she can now look to them for hope
She may battle with depression and lack self-worth and self-confidence, yet she stands strong
Family was not always able to protect her, as much as they thought they could
But they gave her more than protection, they gave her hope, love, support, advice, and care
She was able to face and overcome each battle and each fear head-on, just as a warrior should
Photo by Alysha Rosly on Unsplash