An Ordinary Moment, a Trauma Response My lived experience offered no assurance that I—or anything—would be okay. At a subconscious level, I suspected I might have less trouble if I could just get better at saying no and ouch, because
I’m learning to recognize a pattern. I name something specific: a word that was said, a boundary crossed, a moment that caused distress.The response shifts quickly—to my tone, my sensitivity, my way of being, my capacity to perceive. What starts
Over the years, my children’s father, my mother, and my sister communicated and met without me. This alliance was formed in the shadows. There was no pre‑existing relationship between my mother or sister and the man I divorced. These gatherings