You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you cannot do.

ELEANOR ROOSEVELT

Good evening. Today I was able to witness a breakthrough first hand of a woman about 54 years of age who has definitely had her share of troubled times. Not only was she a rape victim but she was also sexually molested by her own brother at a young age. That alone is enough to drive anyone over the edge... This woman is 54 years old and she has been carrying these secrets around like baggage her whole life. She expressed at the beginning or our conversation that she has never learned how to truly cope with her emotions. She also went on to tell me that she often has these dreams where she is all alone and the loneliness is so overwhelming that it will effect her long after the dream has finished. She stated that sometimes she will get a flash of a suppressed memory and get so caught up with emotion over something she cant even remember that she wouldn't be able to breath or swallow. I remember the moment when the breakthrough was coming because she suddenly started describing what the man looked like, out of nowhere, as this look came into her eyes as if she was gazing into her past. Tears began to stream down her face. Tears racing away from their internal chambers in her heart awaiting this very moment to be free and make way for a healing that's long overdue and a new beginning. Then a slow transformation to resolve had taken over in her expression. This woman who sat in front of me at this moment was no longer the same woman who sat in front of me a minute ago. I now saw an inner strength welling up. She displayed a courage and willingness to overcome that anyone would admire. She made a choice not to be afraid...She made a choice to come Face To Face......

FEAR...... Fear can cause trauma long after the actual experience. Fear can hold us behind an obstacle that nothing can penetrate. This woman experienced a fear so strong and so deep within that she actually forgot the very thing she was afraid of. Her fear overflowed into different situations and relationships in her life and had an impact on their quality. Today I was blessed to see a woman overcome that fear today. To see her take a stand and sort through her emotions and understand that she was a victim and it wasn't her fault. That what happened to her was wrong and evil and it doesn't make her the woman that she is today. She has been an inspiration to me as I hope her story is an inspiration to you also........