10/08/2026
I was 12 when I was sexually assaulted.
For years, I didn’t know how to talk about what happened to me. I was ashamed of something that was never mine to be ashamed of. So I did what I knew how to do. I kept it to myself and went on with my life.
But silence has a way of following you. Even when you think you’ve put something behind you, it can show up in the most unexpected places, in what you tolerate, what you don’t say, and how hard it becomes to stand up for yourself.
When I was invited to share my Jane Doe story at Craft&Release, I knew I wanted to do it for that 12-year-old girl. To finally give her the voice she never had.
But there was someone else I wanted to hear it.
My daughter, Ella, was sitting in the audience.
I wanted her to understand a part of her mother she had never known. I wanted her to know that her body belongs to her, that her voice matters, and that she never has to stay silent to protect someone else.
As a mother, I know I can’t protect my daughter from everything this world might bring. But I can have the conversations I wish someone had with me. I can teach her that speaking up is not something to be ashamed of, and that if something ever happens, she can always come to me.
Lately, I’ve been seeing more women come forward with their stories. Some are speaking for the first time. Others have carried their experiences for decades.
I know what that silence can cost.
And I also know that telling your story, when you’re ready and on your own terms, can be a powerful way of reclaiming something that was taken from you.
To every woman finding her voice, I hear you. And to the women who aren’t ready, you don’t owe anyone your story.
I spent so many years wishing I could go back and protect that little girl.
I can’t change what happened to her. But today, I can finally speak for both of us.
If this resonates, share it with a woman who needs to know her voice matters. ❤️
