Some conversations are too heavy to carry alone, so we carry them together.
In this episode of Speak 2 Heal on the Awaken to Purpose Podcast, I sit down with someone who is not just my aunt, she is my fellow survivor. The same man who violated me as a child violated her too. For decades we both carried this in silence. We were threatened. We were told not to tell. We were made to believe that protecting the family name mattered more than protecting us.
Today, we speak anyway.
My aunt Joan opens up about the imaginary family she created in her mind every night just to fall asleep. She talks about the dread of Saturday mornings, hiding under the bed on Friday nights, and what decades of silence did to her body, her relationships, and her sense of self. We talk about what it felt like to finally take the witness stand, what forgiveness actually looks like when the wound runs that deep, and why speaking out, even when it costs you everything, is still worth it.
This episode is not easy. But neither was surviving.
This one is for every person still hiding. Still protecting someone who never protected them. Still carrying shame that was never theirs to carry.
Reassign the shame. It was never yours.
⚠️ Listener discretion is advised. This episode contains discussions of childhood sexual trauma and may be triggering for some listeners. Please prioritize your well-being and take breaks as needed.
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RESOURCES — You Are Not Alone:
🇺🇸 In the United States: 📞 RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) | rainn.org 📱 Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 📞 Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline: 1-800-422-4453
🇯🇲 For Information, Help, and Reporting in Jamaica W.I.:
📞 Office of the Children's Registry (OCR) +1876-926-4079 www.welcome.oca.gov.jm
Provides a professional and confidential system to encourage, receive, record, assess, and refer reports of known or suspected child abuse and other threats to children.
📞 Office of the Children's Advocate (OCA) +1-876-948-1293 or 948-1469 www.oca.gov.jm A Commission of Parliament mandated to enforce and protect children's rights and best interests, established under the Child Care and Protection Act (2004).
📞 Child Development Agency (CDA) 876-948-6678 | 948-2841 www.cda.gov.jm A child protection system promoting child-friendly policies and programs to strengthen families.
📞 Centre of Investigations of Sexual Offences and Child Abuse (CISOCA) +1876-926-4079 An arm of the Jamaica Constabulary Force mandated to investigate sexually related offences and child abuse. Offices located in all fourteen parishes in Jamaica.