The first day was awful. Awful because it meant I failed my kids. Awful because we weren’t safe. Awful because I believed a lie about someone I loved. And the truth about him was awful.

The first day you find out your child has been sexually abused is also a very important day for good things–

The first day I knew my adopted son abused my child was the last day of her abuse. She has been safer because she told.

The first day is important because when you tell you save others from abuse. All kids deserve safety.

The first day you just aim to survive. And love your kid, because she needs to know how precious she is.

I asked my kids today what they would tell a kid on the first day. They said:

it is not your fault
It is good you told
This happens to a lot of kids
You are brave
And this won’t ruin your whole life, it won’t be your whole life.

The last one means a lot to me. It means we are surviving. We are living through this together.

And if we can, so can you