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Medium Writers are People Too
In a place where words matter, why aren’t we choosing our words more carefully?
I write a lot about parenting, mental health, and recovering from trauma. Often these things interlink and inspire me to write personal essays. My aim is to heal others who have been through similar experiences whilst at the same time trying to heal myself by speaking out about these taboo issues.
If a writer pours their heart out about a traumatic incident, my instinct is to be respectful even if I do not understand their perspective. My opinion isn’t as important as their courage to speak out. But not everyone is on the same page as me.
Since writing about my childhood abuse and my decision to cut ties with my abusive parents, I have received comments from people who seem to have forgotten I am a person.
“You need to forgive your parents.” — In reference to me writing about how it took over twenty years to escape the abuse.
“Children are spoilt brats” — A comment in response to an article on how difficult it is to leave your parents.
“I hope she doesn’t cut you out of her life…” — a reader who found my Instagram account and commented this under a photo of my daughter.