Today on this crisp sunny afternoon, I journeyed home from a visit with family up north of my home. birds filled the sky, and both sides of the turnpike offered ample views of the bare-branched trees. Suddenly this blog post came into my mind. Line after line wrote themselves while I drove.

I was so intrigued by the barren branches and how they seemed like reaching hands.

Reaching can be such an instrumental gesture. Reaching can involve looking inward to find what we need to become whole. Alternatively, it could be reaching out to others in seeking what we need or want. But sometimes it is a pure offering; giving of one's self to help others through their journey. This reaching is where my purpose lies.

While I was in the early stages of recovering from my abuse I came to understand that in helping others find healing, I also healed. By opening up and exposing my wounds and the broken part of my heart, I was showing others that by no means were they alone. For some reason, knowing we are not alone in our brokenness eases the deep and raw pain. While I couldn't erase the suffering I endured at my parents' and sister's hands, I could be the force of reason, allowing others to see that there is hope for us all to reclaim our personhoods. While we spent and lost years in our effort to simply survive the torment and humiliation at the hands of our abusers, we could use employ our experience as lessons in tenacity and belief in recovery for our fellow survivors.

When we thought our hearts were left vacant and hollow, we find the opportunity to reach out to others and reclaim our lost reason. When we thought we weren't worthy or needed, we find others ready and waiting to receive our support. When we thought we could never find our ground, we stand up again, never looking back because we are walking forward. When we feared future abuse, we realize that learning from abuse can sharpen our skills and prevent us from choosing that path.

Abuse recovery begins as a lonely and perilous journey. When all we know is apathy and hatred, we lose our ability to look ahead. We've lost ourselves in the emotional grip of our abuser's cold heartlessness, and can't think of helping others. That is where we need to take a huge step forward and reach. Reach within to understand how we can offer ourselves. Then reach out and give all you can to validate your survival and recovery. I provide support and encouragement through my book, Room in the Heart, this blog and the daily graphics I create for my facebook pages Iamdanaandrews and Menareabused2. But you might have your unique way of supporting those who share our history of abuse. Ultimately what matters is that in one way or another you reach! You can be the voice of reason for others who have barely a whisper of fight left in them.

Your reaching out to others is more vital than you might think- both for them and yourself. There will never be a better time. The clock is ticking; there are hands to hold and souls to save.