A Letter to the Survivor I Was (and Still Am)

A long time ago, someone who was supposed to love and protect you crossed your boundaries, touched you in a way that wasn’t okay, and took something from you that you never gave. No matter how long ago it was, it happened and all of your feelings are valid – even now.

Time doesn’t erase harm, and silence doesn’t make it disappear. Waiting to tell doesn’t make it less real. What happened to you mattered then, and it matters now.

I know you’ve wondered if it’s too late to say something. If people will believe you. If your story still counts because so much time has passed. I want you to know this: it isn’t too late. Your voice still matters. You get to decide when and how you use it.

You did not deserve what happened to you. You weren’t wrong for freezing, staying quiet, or waiting. You did exactly what you needed to do to survive. There was no right response, no perfect timing, and no rulebook for something that never should have happened.

I know you’ve worried about what other people might think or say. Try to let that noise fade. Their opinions don’t define your truth. Your strength comes from listening to yourself and honoring what you know in your body and your heart.

Healing is possible. Even now.

Healing doesn’t mean forgetting or pretending it didn’t hurt. It means you get to decide how you take your power back. You don’t owe anyone a police report. You don’t owe anyone details. You don’t owe anyone proof. Reporting is a choice, not a requirement—and either decision is valid.

You are not responsible for protecting others from the person who hurt you. That was never your job. What happened was not your fault, and what happened after is not your burden to carry. Staying silent wasn’t a failure. It was survival.

If you decide to talk about it, that matters. And if you decide not to, that matters too. Telling one safe person counts. Writing it down counts. Speaking with a counselor counts. And if the first counselor doesn’t feel right, keep going. You’re allowed to find someone who truly sees you.

It is never too late to tell.
It is never too late to heal.
And you don’t have to do this alone.

What happened to you was real.
You didn’t deserve it.
And your voice will always matter.

Love,
Me, now