I feel that I have grown beyond the pain. I see a very bright future for myself. Through Braving Hope I have come to the stage that I am grateful for discovery. I am grateful that our entire world was broken open, and we are now looking at it honestly, learning from it. I have a chance to live authentically in a way I never would have if my partner and I had remained living the way we did before discovery, and if I had not had the chance to learn and grow through Braving Hope. My new understanding of myself, and the work I will keep doing to understand myself and to share who I am in all my relationships, will change my life moving forward in such a positive way – a way that requires work, honesty and sometimes pain and discomfort, but a way that will lead to strong connections and deeper understandings.
The pain of betrayal is no longer is an open wound. It is healing and the growth was worth the pain. I may not know exactly which path I will take moving forward, but I know that I am able to look beneath the surface and work to understand my fears, face them and take a risk. I am finally able to see this experience of betrayal trauma as a doorway to live more fully in a way that I could not envision before. I am so thankful for Michelle and Braving Hope. I am not sure how I could have come to this kind of understanding without Braving Hope. Thank you!