One out of three women will be beaten or raped in her lifetime. There’s something terribly wrong with humanity!
Fact! We all come from women!
Fact! No means No!
Fact! Women are equal to Men!
A female friend of mine who knows that my daughter was raped recommended the “Break the Chain” dance, a worldwide event held on Valentine’s Day, inviting women and men to DANCE, RISE UP, AND DEMAND an end to this violence. And what better day than the day of LOVE to do so. So I said YES! I am going to dance for my daughter!
The day my oldest daughter was born I felt something different inside of me. It’s as though I got a feminine side and became more aware and understood the female.
If my first-born is reading this blog, please know that I feel more love for you than even the day you were born. It’s an out-of-this-world kind of love. I don’t want you to hurt anymore, and I want you to let go of the pain you secretly carry because you’re not alone. And I want to let go of the anger and guilt that I have been carrying for years and finally heal as well.
At the event, the smiles and energy of those beautiful and fearless women were inspiring. They stood up for themselves and their sisters around the world.
As a father and a victim of abuse myself, I know that each one of those women went through hell. And I saw my daughter in every one of them. They gave me hope and they made their point that nothing is going to keep them down.
When we all started to dance, sing and cheer to the “break the chain” song, we all became “ONE,” lifting our soul to be healed and to create a better life.
It was so moving and powerful that we all danced again!
As I was leaving, I was interviewed for the documentary that’s being made about the event, “She’s Beautiful BUT she’s Angry.” I usually get nervous doing that kind of thing, but I didn’t. My heart did all of talking!
Special Note: My daughter is earning her master’s degree this coming May and has been accepted to Harvard to do her doctorate. I’m very proud of her. She broke the chain!
The Baggage Handler 
What an accomplishment for your daughter – AND you! After reading “What Broke Me,” I can tell you that I feel you have faced, what I consider to be one of a parent’s worst fears. I can only think of a missing child or the death of child to top the rape of a child. God bless you both.
PS – one a much lower note, thank you for liking and following my blog I do appreciate you!
How amazing to see that many people come together and admit ‘this happened to me.’ Most of us carry these dark secrets around with us, never discussing them and tucking them away in a deep little pocket of your soul. I’ve never heard of this gathering before, but I’m definitely going to be looking it up. Congrats to you for being able to go and being strong enough to discuss it in a public forum.
When I published my memoir, there was a chapter that I almost removed because it terrified me to admit to the world what I had been through.
I loved reading about your healing after what you and your daughter have been through. It inspires and empowers me (and I’m sure others, too) to face the darkness in my life and find a way to turn it into a positive force. Congratulations to your daughter, you are so right to be proud of her.