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Saprea > Survivor Stories > I Am a Woman Full of Hope

SURVIVOR STORIES

I Am a Woman Full of Hope

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“She told the seashell her story, whispering every secret her memories held. Then she laid the shell at the ocean’s edge and watched the tide pick it up and carry it out to sea…” 

I arrived at the  Saprea Retreat  a shell of a woman; someone who did not realize how broken she was until it was time to start putting the pieces back together. I had spent many years downplaying my abuse and pushing it to the back of my mind that I truly did not know where to begin my healing journey. I spent the next couple days learning who I was again and remembering that young girl who was still inside me. 

As my time at the retreat came to a close, I still felt as though something more needed to be done. I had packed a 3-page note that had my entire story written on its pages. I could feel its weight as I carried it with me through life and knew that it was time to let it go. Surrounded by my new soul sisters and as the crisp air whipped my hair and as the tears flowed freely, I ripped that note into a thousand tiny pieces and watched it flow down the stream. It was in that moment that I knew my soul was cleansed and that I was worthy of all the things my abuser tried to take away from me. 

To say that Saprea saved my life is an understatement. Surrounded by the snow-capped mountains, the brightest blue skies, and the freshest air I have ever breathed; I was finally able to heal. And for that, I will forever be thankful. 

-Carrie, Survivor