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Personal stories


The Words We Reach For: What NOT to Say to a Survivor (And What Actually Helps)
Supporting a survivor starts with the right words. Discover what not to say, why it hurts, and how to offer compassion and understanding.
Shannon Brown
4 hours ago6 min read


From Marked to Mutuals: The Surreal Moment P.C. Cast Followed Me
When P.C. Cast followed my TikTok and commented on Facebook, this House of Night fan lived the ultimate full-circle Halloween dream.
Shannon Brown
4 days ago2 min read


The Blue Hawaiian Shirt: Grief, Autumn, and Loving Fiercely While We Can
A blue Hawaiian shirt, autumn memories, and the lasting love of a father. A personal reflection on grief, remembrance, and cherishing time.
Shannon Brown
Oct 295 min read


Survivors’ Anthem Series # 60: “Victoria’s Secret” by Jax
"I spent my childhood trying to change my body to feel safe. But my body was never the problem. I was always enough."childhood bullying
Survivoremtraumm
Shannon Brown
Oct 2811 min read


Why Do We Still Love the People Who Hurt Us?
Why do survivors still love those who hurt them? Exploring trauma bonds, childhood abuse, complicated emotions, and the journey toward healing.
Shannon Brown
Oct 2613 min read


A Little Happy Meal Toy, a Memory of Papa, and an Unexpected Kindness
So many years after that moment in my childhood, someone who had read my story put that little toy back into my hands.
Shannon Brown
Oct 235 min read


Survivors’ Anthem Series # 59: “Don’t Cry Daddy” by Elvis Presley
I spent years hearing this song and feeling responsible for someone else's pain. Today, I hear it as someone who is survive breaking
Shannon Brown
Oct 2111 min read


Being Someone’s “Must Meet”: A Reader on the Other Side of the Table
A must-meet list, a young reader’s book report, and heartfelt conversations reminded why I share my story, and why awareness matters.
Shannon Brown
Oct 195 min read


Survivors’ Anthem Series # 58: “Yesterday” by The Beatles
"Yesterday was the place I longed to be when childhood felt unsafe. Today, I've built a tomorrow that finally belongs to me."
Shannon Brown
Oct 149 min read


Coming Home to St. Johnsbury: Where the Past and Present Met
“I returned to the place where I once escaped into stories, not as the little girl surviving, but as the woman who lived to write her own.”
Shannon Brown
Oct 87 min read


Anchored in Hope: What the Hardest Seasons Teach Us About Love
When life goes from a downpour to a typhoon, anchor in hope, care for yourself, and love fiercely, our time together is not forever.
Shannon Brown
Sep 162 min read


Don't Wait Until Tomorrow: The Fragility of Time and Cherishing Who We Love
Life shifts in a single breath. Don’t wait until it’s too late, tell the people in your life how much you love them today."
Shannon Brown
Aug 281 min read


The Cost of Coming Forward: When the Silence That Follows Is Deafening
“Coming forward takes immense courage. But when the system answers your truth with silence, the waiting can become its own kind of trauma.”
Shannon Brown
Aug 172 min read


The Dance I Never Had: What Wicked Taught Me About Belonging
"She doesn't fix Elphaba's life. She simply chooses to stand beside the person everyone else has decided doesn't belong. Sometimes healing begins with someone willing to dance beside you."
Shannon Brown
Aug 24 min read


Fortress of Pink
A child’s trauma, a bedroom rug, and a fortress of dolls. A moving poem about processing the unthinkable through the power of play. 🤍
Shannon Brown
Jul 201 min read


Reclaiming Their Names: Survival, Grace, and the Untold Truths of the Klondike Gold Rush
They changed their names to survive. History forgot many of them. We don't have to.
Shannon Brown
Jul 119 min read


The Air We Left Behind - By Shannon Brown
"The voices I heard as consciousness fled were the ones that carried me back to the light."
Shannon Brown
Jun 141 min read


Out of the Darkness, Into the Light By. Shannon Brown
A survivor's journey from fear and silence to truth and freedom. The darkness may linger, but it no longer defines me.
Shannon Brown
Jun 113 min read


The Cost of Silence and the Price of Protection: Why Survivors Can’t Trust the System
"When the system protects the powerful, survivors are left in the dark. 10 victims, 6 months of police silence, we will not be quiet."
Shannon Brown
Jun 75 min read


The Dream Behind the Survivors' Anthem Series
Music heals. Survivors inspire. Discover the dream behind the Survivors' Anthem Series and its hopeful future.
Shannon Brown
May 304 min read
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