10/11/2026
Tell somebody
I grew up hearing “What happens in the house, stays in the house.” And I carried those secrets for years.
My first memories of being sexually assaulted, go back to 7 years old. I was abused by different male family members and was told not to tell, so I kept it to myself. My stepdad’s cousin would always have me sit on his lap, stroke my hair, and touch me in ways that weren’t right. Everybody was around, but nobody really paid attention. Back then, I guess it was normal for little girls to sit on grown men’s laps, while they pretended to give them a “pony ride.” But looking back as a grown woman, I know there was a difference between a harmless pony ride and someone touching a little girl inappropriately. My cousin would do the same thing to me, when he would babysit me and then he would bribe me with things, to not tell. I was a child, and I trusted the adults who were supposed to protect me. At age 8, I was spending the night at my aunt’s house with my cousins. I remember her boyfriend came through a window, got me and carried me out of that window, and then brought me back into the house and started m0lesting me.The part that stays with me, is how many people were in that house. My cousins were asleep, and my aunt in the next room asleep. The house was full of people, but I felt completely alone.
When I was 15, my stepdad came into the room my sister and I shared. He kissed me, but this time he put his tongue in my mouth. I jumped, and he immediately moved away and acted like he was just kissing me and my sister on the forehead, before going to work. When he left, I asked my sister “Did he kiss you in the mouth?” And she said no, so I got up and went to my mom. She was asleep, but I woke her up and told her what happened. My mother believed me. She questioned him when he came home from work, and of course, he denied it. He has denied it ever since. But his denial, does not erase what I remember. There were so many different incidents that happened to me as a child. Some I remembered clearly, and some memories came back later, as I began healing and writing. My memoir “Still Standing” is about breaking the silence, facing my truth, and finding the courage to use my voice. “Still Standing, The Silent Files” is a fictional crime story inspired by themes of secrets, silence, and truth. I believe stories can reach people, in ways conversations cannot. To every survivor in this group: I see you, I believe you, and I stand with you. You don’t have to be ready to tell everything today. You don’t have to have all the memories. But please know your story matters, your voice matters, and what happened to you was not your fault. I am still healing, still remembering, and still finding my voice. But through it all, I’m still standing. Because I know I’m not the only person, who was taught to suffer in silence.
You can help a child protect themselves from abusers, by gifting them a FREE Tell Somebody book! 📚 gofundme.com/GiveAFreeBook
Child abusers, please stop and seek therapy and God.
Parents, talk with and believe your children. ❤️
Survivors, seek therapy. 💪🏽
(To share your story of abuse, message me)
www.TellSomebodyToday.com
