After what seems like a lifetime of feeling not good enough, watching her parents go through a painful divorce, being bullied at school, and later finding herself in an abusive relationship, Grace decides to write a letter to her younger self, to tell her it will all be ok. 

She Shines’ is a poem I wrote many years ago now, at a time in my life where I was breaking free from the heavy clouds of darkness and fear, searching for freedom from the shackles of shame caused by domestic violence.

“Shall we go out for lunch?” he proposed, after asking me to meet with him a few times before. Finally…I dropped my guard and said, “Yes!”. We agreed on a meeting place where he would pick me up, then we would drive to the restaurant together…

The night I met my husband was like that of a cliché story… I was not looking for love, in fact I was adamant I did not want to find love, and I was happiest and better off on my own. Until our eyes met!