Who is Sarah Sherman?
Sarah is a mother, grandmother, wife and badass woman who knows that the world isn't always nice or easy! She has created the life she wants after many years of "never feeling like enough" and the constant "need to be liked" which led her to ignoring her personal needs!
History:
Sarah grew up in a small town - most often living in rural areas, she grew up in a loving family which was guided by very rigid religious principles. She was always shy, introverted, afraid to speak up for herself and when she experienced trauma - she never told anyone.
She was the one who never spoke up in class, was always picked last for the sports teams, was often left out and was told "she had no sense of humour", which she truly believed.
Upon entering junior high school, with low self-esteem, her family moved an hour away from her new school, she knew no one and was now on a bus with other students for almost two hours a day - she was belittled, sexualized, called names, taunted, tormented and cried almost every day. Her childhood friends went their individual ways and no longer wanted to "be her friend."
In grade 8, Sarah went from a tiny, thin weak child to a terrified, silent teen who hid in the library every lunch hour, survived on junk food and quickly developed a womanly body. She never knew that girls can gain a bit of weight as the body develops and she thought she was fat - so she completely gave up. She never felt safe at church or school and at home she escaped in books and reading.
No one listened, no one understood, the bus driver never stood up for her or protected her and by the end of that year, she was a complete shell of a human being with no feelings of self worth, who had lost the will to live and was terrified of not making it to heaven since she was a "bad person" due to past abuse.
Things never improved through high school and no one ever told her that she wasn't fat, that this was part of the body development and she carried that body dysmorphia into adulthood. She was taught extreme modesty which body shamed her and only now is learning to dress how she wants without fear of repercussions or judgement.
As a young adult the only way she "fit in" was to drink too much to loosen up and this put her in precarious situations. At the time, she felt the assaults on her body were deserved because "she was drunk", "look what she was wearing" and "who will believe me." This caused her to believe that she had no value, and that "bad love" was better than no love! She didn't see the red flags or warning signs and she believed almost everything she was told, even though in her belly - her body told her it wasn't ok.
She never felt she could share what she was going through or what had happened to her. It took a long time to let go of the religious guilt, the personal shame and blaming herself. Why was it her fault that even though she had made some errors in judgement - that another person felt they had the right to assault her?
Why was she to blame? You know what? SHE wasn't! Of course she could have made different choices, but no matter what led her to that space - NO ONE had the right to hurt her!
It took a long bad marriage, and 3 years of trying to leave, to escape a messy, dangerous situation that not only traumatized her, and her children, but innocent bystanders as well! After years of healing, raising her children, watching the pain they went through in their teens and talking to many of their friends - she discovered a secret!
Contact Sarah to talk one on one or to join a support group! Sarah Sherman is inclusive, culturally respectful, and LQBTQ+ friendly.
Spoiler alert! Sarah is fun and has a great yet seriously weird sense of humour!
Sarah (she/her) has embraced her inner child, lives live vibrantly and her preferred name is "Daisy"
She lives happily with her husband and shih tzu nestled in the hills of rural New Brunswick. She enjoys traveling in her electric car, being an activist for the environment, a warrior for social justice, and supporting those affected by Sexual Assault and/or Intimate Partner Violence. She is the mother of two, and she didn't get it perfect but it helped her learn! She also has grandchildren from her husbands children and is excited for the future!
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THIS IS HER message:
You are VALUABLE! You are IMPORTANT! You MATTER! You have the RIGHT to say NO! You have the OPPORTUNITY to start over! So let's start relearning today! Move past the negative messaging and welcome your future! |
Future:
What if we were taught: - Self - love? - Respect for ourselves and others? - How to create healthy boundaries and watch for red flags? - WHAT IF we LISTENED more, and improved communication with less judgement? - What if we helped people process the pain and establish a path to healing? - What if... we HELP EVEN ONE PERSON HAVE A BRIGHTER FUTURE? |