“Mmmm, such a good little cousin”
To you, the connotation may be absolutely nothin’
But let me tell you about lil’ mini me 11 years back
There were quite a few things that I seemed to have lacked
My father was a deadbeat, mom a workaholic
All I really had were my siblings, if that’s what you’d call ‘em
Rude as all hell, threw me out the house once with no shoes
So, who you tellin’ family are the people you can’t choose?
All I had to keep my head up were my two aunt’s daughters
One was cool, I guess, but the other? We took our friendship farther
We were two peas in a pod and always together
Therefore, I convinced mom to let them move in to make their life better
Everything was all good until the late nights became later
Mom didn’t notice anything suspicious, so I began to hate her
You see, my male cousin kept finding his way to my room
I’d wake up and he’d already have me trapped, too late to zoom
6-year-old Taylor laid there and kept quiet
The smiles I faked became so real that even I’d buy it
I’ve been through much more since then with other men
No matter how painful the latter is, it all started with my very own kin.
— Survivor, age 17
Dear survivor – your words are heartbreakingly beautiful. Thank you so much for your bravery in sharing them here. I want you to know that multiple experiences is way more common that you think – and than I wish it were. It hurts so much but you can heal from this. I would encourage you to talk to someone. Sharing here is an amazing first step. Maybe a counselor or a hotline or even a close friend or family member? I know it get hard with family members but if there is someone you trust really well, it might be an option. You are not alone. Sending you love and support! Alexis