The True Story behind My Journey: Stronger in Every Season
In 2005, I began this magazine journey saying the goal was to bring women together, to create a space where voices were uplifted and stories were shared. But if I’m honest, that wasn’t the true reason. The real reason? I was broken, trying to navigate through the trauma of my own past.
As a child, I experienced the pain and confusion of sexual abuse. I was bullied and taunted by teenagers, and I felt completely lost. From the ages of 4 to 11, I didn’t know what it meant to have a true identity. I became invisible — existing, but not fully living. I was just a small girl, blending into the background, learning to hide and to silence my own voice because I believed it didn’t matter.
It took me years to understand that what I had been through wasn’t my fault. But by the time I reached 2005, I still hadn’t processed it all. I threw myself into the magazine project because it gave me purpose and, in many ways, a reason to keep pushing forward. Little did I know, it would become a lifeline, a way to heal not just myself, but also to reach others who felt unseen and unheard.
This journey has been about so much more than creating a magazine. It’s been about reclaiming my identity, one word, one page, and one story at a time. For years, I tried to make sense of what happened to me — to understand how trauma shaped me and how I could finally free myself from the weight of those experiences.
It wasn’t easy. There were moments when the darkness of what I’d been through threatened to swallow me whole. But creating a platform for other women to share their struggles, triumphs, and transformations has been a form of therapy for me. It allowed me to connect with others, to find strength in our shared pain, and to give a voice to the little girl who felt invisible for so long.
Today, when I look back, I see that this magazine was more than just a project or a dream. It was a journey to find myself, to make peace with my past, and to create a space where no woman ever has to feel as invisible as I once did. This is a place of healing, a community of courage, and a testament to the power of reclaiming your voice.
If you’re struggling with your own journey, remember this: You are not alone. Healing is possible, and your voice is worthy of being heard. Never let anyone or anything make you feel otherwise. It took me years to understand this truth, but now that I have, I am committed to helping others see it too. Because that’s what Hope is really about — rediscovering the strength we didn’t know we had and using it to change the world, one story at a time.