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.