Audrey – An Everyday Sheroe!

I need to tell you all about a very important person in my life. One who has taught me many lessons and walked through some of those hard lessons with me. Her name is Audrey, a visionary woman who gets excited about new adventures and always has an essential oil remedy at the ready.

Audrey was born to a single mom and grew up in a very small town, living with her favourite uncle and her grandmother she was allowed to let her strong personality shine through. As Audrey grew older, her mother got married and Audrey became excited to have the whole family experience and to have a dad. But her mother’s new husband had demons of his own and Audrey was soon experiencing sexual abuse at the hands of the man she thought would protect her and love her. Audrey’s sexual abuse began at the age of 7 and lasted into her teen years, leaving wounds and hurts that would affect the whole family for many years to come. Audrey’s outspokenness that used to make the older men of the town laugh soon disappeared, a shadow was cast over her light and Audrey withdrew from the bright and exuberant child she had been.

As Audrey hit adulthood, she moved away from the small town and away from the abuse that had overtaken her childhood. The abuse had become a secret that she protected the rest of her family from and although it wasn’t out in the open, it affected so many areas of her life. Audrey soon became a girlfriend, a mother, a wife, a hairdresser, an esthetician, a homeowner and a business owner. And as the labels and responsibilities added up and her children grew older, the weight of the secret of her abuse became too much to bear. She began to share snippets of what had happened, she began to seek out groups or counsellors that could help her release her burden. She began to search for relief from the pain of what had happened to her. It could not stay hidden anymore.

At one point Audrey knew it had to come out fully and openly but when she brought up her abuse to her family, the shame of it all was too much for them to bear and it was swept under the rug in hopes it wouldn’t come out again. Audrey became more isolated from her family than ever before and, although the hurt was there, Audrey pressed on knowing the only way one can heal from trauma and help others was to speak up when no one else would.

Audrey began learning, growing, exploring and expanding. Audrey talked and shared with many people her story and found that she was not alone in her abuse and her journey. She began searching for things she loved and what she was passionate about. She began to heal and to forgive the man who abused her, the mother who did not protect her and the family who left her. She began to find her voice, the strong personality and outspokenness of who she once was came back and Audrey became the bright and exuberant adult, reminiscent of the child she had once been.

Audrey and her grandkids

Today, Audrey is still on her path of finding herself and healing. Although mistakes are made, Audrey always picks herself back up and keeps moving forward with care and love for herself and others. An unwavering determination to learn and grow toward success. Audrey works with Doterra as a Wellness Advocate and Life Engineer, sharing the health benefits and healing that can arise from essential oils and aromatherapy as well as a Support Network Connector, helping connect people she meets with those that can help them, whether it be business or personal.

Audrey’s story is similar to many women’s stories, many of whom have been told to stay quiet and have been held back from moving forward. Audrey is an Everyday Sheroe because of her capacity to keep speaking, keep growing and keep loving even in the face of anger, fear and shame. She is all of us who strive to protect those we love and uplift those we admire. She is a real-life example of how everyday people have a big influence on the people around them.

I know this because Audrey is my mother-in-law and she has forever changed my life for the better. I am so grateful to have someone who continues to speak to protect me and my children, who teaches me compassion and understanding and who never ceases to amaze me with her ideas and visions. Thank you, Audrey, for being an Everyday Sheroe.

To connect with Audrey and learn more about her healing journey with essential oils, visit https://www.facebook.com/2takecareofyou/.

Lot’s of Love

Charissa