I'm 37 years old with two beautiful daughters, and I'm starting my life over again. While in an emotionally abusive marriage for the last 12 years, I had to deny my creativity because all of my energy went into avoiding conflict, preventing "problems", and protecting myself and my children when my prevention techniques failed.

I lost my voice.

I am now in the process of healing, finding my voice again, and expanding my range! I am a musician & a music therapist, and I have always considered myself to be a writer as well on an amateur level. I am using Helium.com to reclaim that as a mode of expression.

I am also a pediatric occupational therapist. I believe that my gift and my purpose in life is to reach those who can't be reached by others, to help bring a new world to those who shut themselves off from the original world that they escaped.

For the moment, I am not donating my proceeds to a charity because I am recovering from my divorce during which I lost everything but the most important...my children. I need to build my own security and financial resources before I can safely give to others. Once I am back on my feet financially, I intend to donate my proceeds to the domestic violence agency that pulled me from the water as I was drowning, performed CPR, dried me off, warmed me up, then taught me how to swim. I am now learning how to sail. I am eternally grateful to Barbara for being my lifeguard, my towel, my sunshine, and my swim instructor. One day maybe we'll be co-captains!

My passion is ...

my children, my work, my music.

I know too much about ...

nothing...there is no such thing as knowing too much. Learn something new EVERY DAY!

My parents always told me ...

We'll see...

My childhood ambition ...

...to save the world and spread peace.

My favorite memory ...

holding each of my children for the first time.

Why I write ...

because I can. It is how I tell the world who I am.

What I am reading/watching/listening to ...

the laughter of my children.

My first job ...

Babysitting, and a Haagen Dazs ice cream store. Yummm.

My best moment ...

Holding my children for the first time.

My inspiration ...

Holding my children, every time.

Relationships & Family > Domestic Violence & Abuse Choosing when to leave an abusive relationship

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I had suspected for years that my marriage would not work. I had always been taught, however, not to listen to my intuition, as girls so often are. I came from a divorced family, and regardless of what everybody else seemed to think, I wasn't going to let such a horrible thing happen to me or my children. Isn't it ironic, now, that it was my children that forced me to open my eyes and acknowledge that I had to end my marriage.

We had met as if in a fairy tale- I was on vacation in another country, we met at the pool in the hotel that he worked at. He was flirting with me, trying to g...

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