*Editor’s Note: Today’s post is by Hilary Jerome Scarsella, originally published in the Spring 2014 issue–a special issue on sexualized violence–of Timbrel Magazine, a publication by Mennonite Women USA. To purchase a copy of this issue for a special discounted price of $5, click here.– RH In each issue of Timbrel, a section called “Three Windows, Three Women” highlights three women’s stories that relate to the theme of the issue. In the current issue on sexualized violence, this story – my story – appeared as one of those three. It is one of many stories I could tell about the trauma of abuse and shape of healing, and it goes like this: As a child, as a teenager, as a young adult, I was sexually, verbally, and emotionally abused on a number of occasions by a number of different boys and men. All the while, I appeared highly successful—good grades, socially competent, goal-oriented, and frequently complimented by my elders. No one close to me knew I was repeatedly experiencing traumatic violence, and I didn’t know it either. It wasn’t until my early 20s that I learned to name it for what it was. That moment was a sea change for me. While I’d been […]
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