Author Pat Eagle’s memoir, Being Mean: A Memoir of Sexual Abuse and Survival, will be published on June 11, 2019. I have pre-ordered my copy and look forward to reading her story.

I’m grateful for many reasons that our paths have crossed. Pat and I work with the same publisher, She Writes Press. Getting to know another author whose difficult theme linked with my own, Patchwork: a Memoir of Love and Loss, has been heartening. I am grateful, in fact, for every woman who has found the courage and wherewithal to tell her story. Why? In part, the abuse is so hard to initially admit to one’s self, let alone tell others about. And the writing/telling is so healing.

Today, I want to share an excellent article Pat wrote that has just been published by Spirituality and Health. Her title is “Developing Self-Forgiveness and Self-Compassion as a Survivor of Child Sexual Abuse.” The opening words are:

Tell someone you were sexually abused as a child and soon the word “forgiveness” pops up. “Have you forgiven your abusers?” the curious predictably ask. Why does this concern, I wonder, supersede others? 

Have I forgiven my abusers? When my memories began pushing through the hard crust of consciousness after being buried from age 13 to 38, forgiveness was not what came to mind. Survival was.

And now, kindly follow this link to complete reading this important, thought-provoking article. Eagle raises questions often never talked about and shares some hard earned wisdom from her long journey.

2 Comments

  1. Mary Jo, just finished YOUR book. I’d turn off the television at night, pour myself a bit of tawny port and read. It was marvelous and very inspiring. Talked about it and praised it during my weekly writing circles. You are truly an inspiration to all of us who put our stories on paper. Thank you for being a mentor.

  2. Author

    Dearest Sandra Agnes,

    Your extremely kind words embrace my heart as I begin this new journey, after shedding yet another snakeskin of being able to speak, not just write, the words of my story.

    Do you know how much I hope to read your memoir of the 60s as a teenage intern to help those in the deep south? I’d love to hear how that is coming along.

    Thank you for supporting my work and please know that if I could do this, YOU can do an awesome memoir.

    Peace and plenty and love to you….

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