In the summer of 2000, I had to make a difficult choice: Write and publish my life story of abuse or run for U.S. Congress. A dear congressman friend of mine said “Yasmin, you cannot do both at the same time, the country is not ready for it. You must choose one”. Deciding to no longer live by “el que dirán” I chose to write my life story. Within weeks of publication, I received hundreds of emails from Latinas around the world, thanking me for giving them the courage to leave their abusive situations; others thanked me for giving them the courage to live. At that time I couldn’t understand how my life story could impact so many lives; I didn’t realize the monumental power our life stories have on helping others find hope. I now realize the choice I made was the greatest turning point of my life….as it led me to find my life purpose. There is no better feeling than to know you’ve helped save another’s life. There is no money or power in the world that can bring upon the same satisfaction.
As survivors of abuse, many of us have chosen never to share our experience with others. For those ready to share their stories, I am so very proud of your courage. When we share our experiences we help to empower others. With love, I welcome your submissions. Others may need inspiration to know that their story will serve a higher purpose. Know that we cannot change what happened to us. What we can change is how we see it and how we use it to help others. We have the power to transform our experiences into hope for others; so that they too one day will find the courage to set themselves free. The past has happened, don’t be ashamed by it, embrace it, find strength in it. You are no longer a victim, you are now a survivor. It is my belief that by revealing these violent parts of our pasts we not only heal our wounds but we also help to make sure others are healed from our pain. It is only in sharing our stories that we can make this possible.
Please join me in empowering yourself and our communities by submitting your story here.
Con todo mi cariño,
Yasmin Davidds
