I Am S.H.E.

By Ebony

I am empowered and poised because I am victorious over the many challenges I have faced.  I strive for honorable excellence in my life.

Overcoming molestation and rape as a child was just one of the many obstacles I faced in my life. I was molested between the ages 6 to 15 and raped at 16. It was four different men that abused me, three being friends of the family and one being family. I kept this secret from my family until I was in my early 30's due to the fear I had of their responses.

Although I was dealing with this, my childhood was still good. In my teenage years, I began a healing process that I didn’t even know I was going through. A year after my rape, during high school, I had to write a paper to pass the English class and graduate. We were given topics to research and write. I chose to write about sexual abuse and that was a turning point for me. I will never forget the feelings I had as I was writing, I earned an “A” on that paper and that research begin to change my life. Although this was still my secret from those around me, I no longer felt I was alone in this. I challenged myself to share my story and open to others about the matter.  In sharing my story, I found that I was gaining power and freedom. I begin to attract people who were going through some things in life that broken them. I found myself uplifting them and empowering them as I was doing the same for myself. As I grew older in my early 20s I went to get counseling and allow myself to heal. I felt that I had to share the whole story to someone and the counselor was the one. I was continuing to find out I was healing but it felt great to get it all out. Living my life despite what was happening to me empowered me to work through the many other challenges life had for me while striving for honorable excellence. I begin to love myself and build myself daily.

This is not the only abuse I experienced in life, but this left the most scars. What happened to me could have broken me to the point of no return, but I chose to elevate my life from the pain, lack of self-worth, esteem and many other factors I had to uplift from. I had to make some tough decisions to move my life forward: Do I stay in this dark, hurtful, broken place or do I leave the pieces of me, get up and start a new life? It wasn’t over and that didn’t have to be the life I lived (nor does your life). I chose to turn my life around.

No, the road to my next chapter was not easy it was filled with loneliness, a broken heart, pain all over, health issues, and more. However, I took all that turned it all around accepting what was and letting go of what I had to and kept moving forward. These are some requirements that you must have to change your life. The major thing about change is that you and only you must want and be willing to do so.

As a child I was a liturgical dancer and later became an instructor, this where I found my passion in empowering and uplifting other women and young ladies. I became to be more than their dance teacher but a mentor and coach to them. I also begin co-hosting workshops for women groups around the city of Cleveland.  Later I went on to start my own program that would lead to me founding the non-profit S.H.E. INC. S.H.E. stands for Striving for Honorable Excellence. We have been in existence since September 23, 2013.

This idea originated with me and my best friend being willing to help others who been through some challenges and obstacles in their lives, to know they too are worthy. Through this program not only was I helping others, it began to help me with my own daughters, who everyday remind me why SHE is important and worth it.

We are given obstacles, challenges, and circumstances in life sometimes out of our control, but you do control your response to these things. You must know that you have power to overcome it all, but it starts with YOU! Regardless to what life has thrown your way what has happened or hasn’t happen to you, YOU are still in control. You must believe in Y.O.U.rself (Your Own Uniqueness). The road to changing and growing is not easy for some but the only person you are fighting really is the one you look at in the mirror. You have the power to be the best You! SHE IS Y.O.U.!  Strive for Honorable Excellence!

To gain more information or support you can reach out via email sheismeyouth@yahoo.com or by phone 216-209-6982.