This week, a survivor would like to share some words of gratitude to all in our community:
*At the peak of my trauma, I was forced to "work" on my birthday. I was forced to work on my mom's birthday, Father's Day, Mother's Day. In fact, I worked every holiday, and if I showed any kind of attitude about it, my abuser would make me regret it. All the while, I was risking my health and safety so others could go satisfied and then spend the rest of their special days with their family.
"I grew into adulthood feeling grim about all the special days of the year when most people feel festive, so Christmas was the absolute worst time of all for me. During that very dark period in my life, I never had a tree. I didn't get presents. My family didn't even know where I was. Everything that makes Christmas special was sucked out of my life, so now even though I have survived that darkness, I still sometimes become sad when I experience all the festivity in the air, because I know that there are so many other exploited women out there who are having even worse Christmases than I ever had.
"I don't think the angels at Alabaster Jar Project, who volunteered to give all of us survivors a special Christmas, can even begin to understand how important their job was this season. At our support group Christmas party, we all ate until we were full, we listened to Christmas music and guest speaker testimonials, and we each received thoughtful gifts chosen especially for each of us. When you've spent Christmas surviving some of the awful things we have lived through, a Christmas like we had this year restores your faith in humanity.
"From the bottom of my heart, thank you so much to all who made our Christmas amazing. I have never felt so loved by my community as I do now. If your spirit of giving can't erase all the trauma in my past, I'm not sure what else will.
"And please continue to keep survivors who are still on the streets in your prayers. This is not a happy time of the year for everyone, and it takes a lot of courage and hard work to even begin seeking help from places like Alabaster Jar Project."