Comments for From Canada's Eastern Shore: Thank you Darlene!

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Jan 02, 2009
Such a genuine thank you!
by: Darlene Barriere - Webmaster

Scott, you certainly know how to express a heartfelt thank you. I can't tell you how much I appreciated getting this post. What a wonderful way to start my new year.

Yes, my site keeps me busy full time. But over the last several months, I've had to make some difficult decisions in order to whittle down that time from 80 hours a week to something more manageable; which is why I've had to suspend some of the features my visitors have come to enjoy: Ask Darlene was such a feature. Stories have to be the number one priority here.

I don't know how long I'll be able to keep up with commenting on people's stories, but as long as I'm alive, this site will continue to be a safe and warm place for visitors to share of themselves.

You've been so gracious giving me so much credit. Don't forget to give credit where it is due: to you, Scott. Regardless of how I operate this site, regardless of how comfortable a place it is to visit and share, regardless of the comments of others, YOU yourself still had to get past the shame and embarrassment you felt in order to disclose what happened to you. THAT in and of itself was courageous; so don't sell yourself short.

Your healing has truly begun, Scott, and I am proud to have been a part of that. With your newly found voice, you can hold your head high. And as you get more and more used to that empowering new voice, you will gain more confidence and self-awareness, which in turn will empower you even further. You may even find yourself turning pain into power.

I considered keeping your generously kind words to myself; but then I realized if I did, the opportunity to share my thoughts with you and all my visitors would be lost, and so would another opportunity. Validation, encouragement and support are definitely a large part of what I'm about and therefore what my site is about, but healing and recovery is also way up there. This site has a synergistic element to it: the more people share, the more healing is possible.

Scott, as a visitor here (an avid contributor, really) you took the time to tell me how healing what I do on my site has been for you. I felt it was important to share that with all who visit here, because what you wrote can help someone else further along their own road toward healing and recovery. Your voice has been heard, and now the power of it will resonate with others who have yet to find their own voices. There is so much energy in that that I didn't feel I had the right to keep it all to myself. Thank YOU, Scott.

All the best of the new year to you, and may your new voice carry you further along your own road toward healing and recovery. You too have earned it.

Darlene Barriere
Violence & Abuse Prevention Educator
Author: On My Own Terms, A Memoir

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Disclaimer: To the best of my knowledge the child abuse
stories on this site are true. While I cannot guarantee
this, I do try to balance the need for the submitter to be
heard and validated with the needs of my visitors.



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