Knowing That You Are Not Alone

I've mentioned several times before how often people begin to confess their personal situations to me after they've heard my story.  Whether it is through my blog posts or my stage production, the realization that I too am human and have had my share of problems causes people to open up as they would with someone they've known for years.

It's a wonderful feeling to know you aren't alone isn't it?

Whatever your struggle may be--your current living situation, your sexuality, loss of a loved one, your emotional stability, or lack thereof... Everyone has something they deal with that, at the time, seems like they are the only ones who has ever dealt with it.

Common sense tells you that you aren't the first person to experience this and won't be the last, but when you are presently in the struggle, that statement is the last thought on your mind and seems far from the truth.  Your emotions completely cloud your sense or reality, creating the illusion that no one could possibly understand your pain.

We all have a need to want our struggle to be understood and for someone else to empathize with our plight.  That's the whole reason any of us use our talents to share our stories in the first place, right?  We want people to understand what we've been through and we want those who may be struggling now to not feel so alone; perhaps as we did during our lonely journey.

As a homeless mother, this feeling was all too familiar to me.  Not only was it difficult to discuss my family's struggle for fear of judgement from others, but there was always a fear too that social services could take my children away if they felt like I couldn't take care of them.  I knew my children were well taken care of.  I wasn't about to try to prove the fact that they had food, clothing, education, and everything any other child had--they simply did not have beds.

I suffered in silence, not having anyone who could possibly relate.

I taught my kids early to keep a secret when it is for the purpose of protecting our family.  I explained to them why it was so important and I also explained to them that we were not the only ones struggling with this right now.  I told them often that all around the world families are living secretly in their cars, in abandoned buildings, under bridges, etc. and this was, and still is the truth today.

Even during the time when I felt most alone, I aimed to teach and remind my kids that our circumstance was not so unusual, because I knew how debilitating that sense of isolation could be.

It's a sad reality that, if you are experiencing at the moment, may feel like a solitary one, but it is not.  Homelessness is taking place all around us, only many of us choose to ignore it.  It's easy to ignore a problem that people are afraid to talk about.

When people share their stories with me, and elaborate on how my testimony and stage production has impacted their lives, I am overjoyed and so grateful to see how my struggle is now being used to heal others.  Each testimony I hear is like a standing ovation to my soul.  It is a reminder that my struggle was not in vein and as I continue to tell my truth, others will continue to heal, some just by knowing they are not alone.

As difficult and lonely as the situation may have been for me, I am grateful to have lived it because now I can be a voice for the voiceless.  I don't mind putting my journey out there in order to help millions of other people take their journey a little less alone.  For me, it makes it all worth it.

I want to thank those of you who continue to support my journey!

I will be announcing 2017 tour dates very soon and hope that each of you has a chance to experience my stage production for yourself.  Be sure to follow us on all of your social networks and don't miss any updates as we get closer to showtime.

Sponsorship opportunities are also available!  
Email thehomelesstour@gmail.com for more information!

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