"The Power of New Shoes"

Wouldn't it be easy to just change your life like you change your shoes? If your shoes are worn out from rough road, and your path has too many patches of gum and dog doo, you just head to Target for a new pair. Can it be that simple?

In theory, yes. You can discard old attitudes and behaviors that no longer serve you. But sometimes pulling those shoes off your feet is like struggling with those yellow rubber boots that won't let go - unless you get someone else to help pull them off.

That is the essence of this blog - to help you pull off those boots which have been soiled with the mud of childhood abuse, which have sustained years of wear and tear, and which have stubbornly clung to your feet even when you know it is time to discard them. It is time for you to find "The Power of New Shoes". You deserve it.

My worn out shoes now sit in my closet where I honor their struggle. They will forever be my history and they kept me alive. Perhaps I should bronze the baby shoes that sustained years of sexual abuse by my biological father, and I should covet the vintage, fashion-challenged "Earth" shoes of my teenage years. Those ugly things were at least comfortable at a time when my hurting feet hit the streets as a runaway. Then they got stuck in those yellow rubbers. I felt trapped in a life of drugs, self-abuse, and the need to continue running from my pain.

Through the help from a runaway shelter, I got a glimmer of hope that the boots could come off. With the assistance of therapists and the support of other brave survivors, I am now sporting some "support shoes" (Hey, I'm 45 what do you expect!) They probably need trashed by the "What Not to Wear" hosts, but they keep me from hurting, and they no longer have a wounded soul. And the best of all, they allow me to nurture a large stinky shoe from my pre-teen son and a little pink pair with blinky-lights from my little girl. You see, my children taught me the true meaning of love, because they possess the power of new shoes.

The power of new shoes is waiting for you. You can get the boots off - and keep them off. In this blog, I will post excerpts from my upcoming book - guess what it's called- "The Power of New Shoes: Stepping Into Life After Sexual Trauma" These are short, easy-to read stories from my recovery process offered so that survivors might find some "normalizing" of their experiences. Perhaps you may find yourself within these tales, but know that it is not intended as therapy or advice, but only as a "this worked for me" reference. I have been out of the rubber boots for a very long time, so I think I have done something right that I want to share with others.

Blessings for your journey...your new shoes await!