The Power of 1 Small Voice

No, I don’t remember the first time my abuser touched me. And I don’t remember the first time he told me to keep it a secret. The fact is, I probably wanted to keep it a secret before he ever said anything to me. What would I say? How could I say anything? What would my mother think? My family? My friends? What had I done? What was wrong with me?

All those years ago when I was trembling in the dark in my bedroom at the tender age of eight I had no idea that all I ever needed to say was something. It didn’t matter what people thought. It didn’t matter who I said it to. It didn’t matter how many times I had to say it before someone did something. I just had to say something to someone before anything could be done. 1 Small Voice is dedicated to the power we had all along, but somehow believed did not exist.

1 Small Voice called a friend in the wee hours of the morning and said only “I want you to have my Wrinkie dog” and my friend knew something was wrong.

1 Small Voice spoke boldly with my eyes when the cops came to the door, though my lips never moved and a sound was not uttered until I was safely in the squad car.

1 Small Voice stood on the stage in pageant after pageant and said “I will speak for those who can not.”

1 Small Voice is dedicated to every child who felt abandoned and used. To every wounded child-like spirit that cowers in the recesses of every survivors mind. To every boy and girl who wants out and is too scared to say anything. I implore you, reach out to someone. If you can’t bring yourself to say it, just sit with someone you trust until it does come out.

1 Small Voice is for you, the triumphant survivor, who wants to give back. It is for you, the healed and whole, who want to be an example for others who may be lost.

1 Small Voice is for me, because this small voice has something big to say:

You can live your life in VICTORY, instead of as a victim.