The week in Awesomeness

Happy Sunday, everyone!

I feel like I've been a bit of a Debbie Downer recently, so have decided to do a weekly "good news" report.  And there is much good in the world, so I shouldn't be at a loss any time soon.  :-)

First is the much-anticipated announcement of Theo Fleury's Victor Walk!  A team of advocates will gather May 14 at the Child Abuse Monument in Toronto, and will walk to Ottawa, arriving on the steps of Parliament Hill on May 23 to demand:

1. Much tougher legal penalties on pedophiles
2. Prison time for those who did not immediately report the abuse to the police
3. A national registry so Canadian parents can be warned when a pedophile moves into their community
4. Significant government funding for the cure  [I am assuming this is referring to healing for the victims, as research indicates there is no cure for pedophilia.]

He is also inviting survivors to submit or bring their Victim (Victor) Impact Statement, to tell their stories and unburden themselves from secrecy.

Video link: http://youtu.be/mD_BTTIu-4k (Victor Walk)

Guess where I plan to be in May?  :-)  If you can't do the walk or be in Ottawa, they've put together a kit to start a Victor Walk in your own community.  There's also ways to donate, purchase "Victor Movement" swag, and download a copy of the anthem "Walk with Thousands" (Fleury is also a singer-songwriter, Mister Multi-Talented Guy).

There's a video of the song on YouTube -- I wish the other musicians were named, but it's got banjo, so I'm happy.  :-)

Video link: http://youtu.be/aFvc7WvkLqY (Walk With Thousands)

Up next, I'd like to share an amazing quote and graphic which my friend Tina shared on FaceBook a few days ago:

If the print is too small or grainy, here's what the quote says:

"You own everything that happened to you.  Tell your stories.  If people wanted you to write warmly about them, they should've behaved better."  Anne Lamott

To which I say, "Amen, Sister!"

Way up in the top right corner, you'll see a credit to FromTracie.com -- being the curious type (and wanting permission to post this amazing graphic!), I went to check it out.  It turns out, Tracie is a fellow survivor, blogger and advocate -- please do visit and check out what she has to say!

Through her site, I also found a number of others, all of which equally fit the awesomeness criteria:

     

 

These are all about people telling their stories, and being part of each other's healing process.  Which, as you might have noticed, is kind of my thing.  :-)

Finally, on a more personal level, I have finished reading "The Ultimate Betrayal: The Enabling Mother, Incest and Sexual Abuse" (book report soon!) and made it through Part One (describing the many types of abuse) of "Toxic Parents: Overcoming Their Hurtful Legacy and Reclaiming Your Life".  Both are incredible books, and I would heartily encourage fellow survivors to check them out.

It has been a tough slog going through these books and seeing my life in print -- although I am very much looking forward to Part Two: Reclaiming Your Life, which promises to help put some more useful tools into my toolbox.

Reading through the case studies and descriptions of these types of behaviours and what they do to a young mind, I have to say I'm kind of amazed with (and proud of -- yes, that was my outside voice!) myself for staying alive this long and not becoming a crack whore...

Because being alive and not a crack whore is pretty damned awesome!  :-)