Both of my parents were abusive (my father physically towards my mother & my mother verbally & emotionally towards me) & for this reason I never had a voice. In my household I wasn't allowed to have opinions. Anyone who has had experiences with a west indian mother can understand how this happens. I had no friends & no adults I trusted enough to talk to (due in part to my mother & her abuse) Writing literally became the only way I felt I could safely communicate & reading was a way for me to escape my life. (As a child I would fill my backpack until it wouldn't close with books & be done with them all in a week) My mother believed I had no privacy or personal space so sometimes she read my journal used it to bully me & was unapologetic for it. After it being done enough I just stopped writing until last year (hence the haitus) I could say writing is a my life but it's not. I love words & I love what they can do when used with good intentions. I appreciate how writing has been helpful to me when I needed it & I'm grateful to every book I've ever read for molding me in some way into the person I am now. Before I became a part of freestyle I hadn't considered exploring my writing seriously. Sage spoke to me all the time about finding my voice & I didn't get it because I didn't know what my own voice sounded like. I decided to seek freedom in so I could say what I wanted & inadvertently found my voice. The ability to write has been a valuable tool in my personal life and for that reason I value it & everything I've learned here.

*excuse me for being so long winded*