The pandemic turned out to be healing for Aseealah Rasheedah Davis.
The Mays Landing woman filled her sleepless nights with prayer.
"While in prayer, I would see things that I went through while growing up," she says.
Those stories are now part of a her book, "Her Eyes of Awareness."
"It’s short stories about different things that happened in my life," she explains. "I talk about when I was molested by my aunt’s boyfriend, my parents' drug addiction, being in a abusive relationship with my children’s father and how I overcame those situations."
Davis has spoken of her book at various events for women, and people have requested signed copies.
The abuse by her aunt's boyfriend began at 12, she said during a recent
From that was born a meet and greet set for Saturday at the Red Lobster in Mays Landing.
"It was very difficult because writing made me face these issues head on," she said. "It wasn’t therapeutic writing it but it was very therapeutic rereading it."
She hopes that will be the case for others.
"I want to be able to help all females overcome depression, rebuild their faith, being brokenhearted, having low self-esteem, being a single mother, being in an abusive relationship, et cetera," she said.
Davis was on of several women who spoke about their abuse during a webinar last month called "I'm My Sister's Keeper."
"This Aseealah Davis is not the same Aseealah Davis that was molested before," she said. "This Aseealah Davis is going to speak her truth. This Aseealah Davis is going to tell her story to the world.
"If this can just help one person, I'm OK with that," she added. "The silence has been broken and I'm going to proceed to keep it. I am no longer a victim. I am victorious."
