I've been Redeemed!: My story of surviving, thriving, and overcoming

I grew up with this belief system of what happens behind closed doors, stays behind closed doors. This toxic belief set me up to be a people pleaser, to the extent that even when I was 19 years old, I was still asking for permission to go out with my friends, while watching those close to be still doing their thing- no permission needed. I thought that in order to be accepted or approved, I had to become other people's doormat, reporter, or their personal Cinderella. Fast forward to shortly after being rescued, my mission was that no one else would have to go through what I and so many others have been subjected to- Slavery and human/sex trafficking. What I discovered since then is that human/sex trafficking isn't just an out of this country problem. It is happening in our own "backyards." Further, relative abuse is a very real problem in this world and no innocent human being should be treated as someone else's black sheep. When you see something, you say something. Through prayer, meditation, establishing healthy boundaries, and seeking wise counsel, I've been able to forgive myself and others for the abuse I was subjected to, but also own that forgiveness does not equate to reconciliation.