What happens when you've spent so many years staying silent that you begin to lose yourself?In this powerful encore episode of Bent Not Broken: Life After Divorce, Deborah revisits one of the show's most resonant conversations with author and longtime educator Barb Rebon, whose memoir The Heartbeat of My Silence explores trauma, identity, secrecy, self-discovery, and the courage it takes to finally speak your truth.Barb's story begins long before she found the words to tell it.After experiencing abuse as a teenager, she entered the convent at just 16 years old. Her journey would eventually include motherhood, a 26-year career as an educator, years of keeping important pieces of herself hidden, and ultimately the decision to stop living in silence.This isn't simply a conversation about what happened to Barb.It's a conversation about what can happen to all of us when we silence ourselves for too long.Whether that silence comes from trauma, marriage, divorce, family expectations, fear, shame, people-pleasing, or simply trying to become the person everyone else expects us to be, the result can be the same:We lose touch with our own voice.And sometimes, we lose ourselves along with it.In This Episode, You'll Hear About:How childhood and teenage trauma can shape identity for decadesWhy Barb entered the convent at just 16 years oldThe difference between keeping something private and living in silenceHow fear and expectations can cause us to hide parts of ourselvesWhat happens when you've spent years living according to other people's expectationsBarb's journey toward understanding and accepting herselfWhy telling our stories can be an important part of healingThe courage required to finally speak your truthHow to begin reclaiming your identity after years of feeling lostWhy it is never too late to find your voice and start writing your next chapterAre You Lost—or Have You Just Been Silent for Too Long?One of the most powerful lessons in Barb's story is that losing yourself doesn't always happen all at once.Sometimes it happens quietly.One compromise. One unspoken truth. One swallowed feeling at a time.You become the wife. The mother. The caretaker. The professional. The peacekeeper. The person everyone can depend on.Until one day you realize you aren't sure where you went.That's why this conversation is worth hearing again.Because healing isn't only about moving beyond what happened to you. It's also about rediscovering the person underneath everything you've learned to hide.You are allowed to have a voice.You are allowed to change.You are allowed to tell your story when you're ready.And you are allowed to decide that the next chapter of your life will sound different from the chapters that came before it.About Barb RebonBarb Rebon is an author and retired educat

Lost in Silence: How Finding Your Voice Can Help You Find Yourself Again | Barb Rebon

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