I got bullied a lot as a kid, probably because I had no father or brother or sisters. At age four, I was sexually assaulted by an older boy. I kept it a secret for over sixty years, hidden from view in a tiny lockbox in my head where I had difficulty finding it. And then in 2025, at a time
when I had three mini-strokes and raging high blood pressure, my assailant came back into my life via social media. He reached out and acted like everything was okay between us, and could we reminisce together about the good old days? Those days were not good for
me, not at all. But his message to me was the earthquake that caused the mine to cave in. I had a breakdown. I was lost. I couldn’t get out of bed for weeks, pulling the covers up over my head. Then I remembered my old friend Pete. I knew he had similar childhood traumas.
After telling my wife of 41 years, the next person I opened up to was Pete. And he helped me. He spent a long time on the phone with me, soothing me, calming me down. He told me he had a foundation that directed people like me to therapy services that specialized in
male sexual trauma. I have continued those therapy sessions ever since. They saved my life and continue to save me. Bless you, Pete, and bless this foundation for taking a broken man and putting him on the path to recovery.
Peace,
Z