I opened my very own Pandora's Box, simultaneously experiencing its contents through the eyes of a very frightened child and the strong woman I've become. The process of reclaiming my voice has opened the floodgates of my memory. I am convinced that my own sanity was left intact because of my soul's ability to cloak events with a lack of recall. It is from this paradox that I open myself to not only remembering and acknowledging my childhood but sharing it openly with others in the hopes that they too will one day be able to connect the dots of their childhood and embrace the strengths born from their circumstances. I sit here writing this story- my story- in awe of the soul's ability to shine no matter how tarnished one may believe they've become.