Walls and other boundaries

The purpose of creative nonfiction is to reflect on the lessons of experience and to develop empathy. I write creative nonfiction first and foremost, for myself, to slow down and analyze how my childhood experiences continue to affect my present relationships and behavior. Knowing I can reach out to readers and empathize with the traumas they endure, I want to publish my stories to give others hope and communion. As a child, I suffered physical, emotional, verbal, and sexual abuse; grieved my parents' divorce; and dealt with early onset childhood depression - all of which I detail in these three essays. These issues were either caused or exacerbated by several of my family members' disrespect of my bodily autonomy and emotional boundaries. I set out writing these essays to stress the importance of teaching young children boundaries. While that is certainly still important, I've found that adults must also be taught to respect children's boundaries. I also hope that survivors of abuse and trauma are inspired to rebuild their lives for a more loving future.