About Lauren

Raised in Atlanta, Georgia, I guess you could call me "a child of the south". My childhood was one filled with trauma, fear, and insecurity. I became an overachiever so that everyone would think that I was a normal child. I just wanted to stay out of everybody's way and perform well enough so that I would not get in trouble. I was a great kid, followed the rules, home early, and never talked back but my family had a dark secret. My father was violent alcoholic and my mother was his target. I spent a lot of my time under my bed biting my nails praying and hoping for a better tomorrow. It never came. I was helping to raise my two younger brothers while my mother supported us financially. I also was working to help pay the bills, raise my brothers, homework, housework and it was more than I could bear. One day while riding home on the bus from school, I became overwhelmed with hopelessness and decided to make an attempt on my life. I lived... thank God, I lived and then I determined NEVER to feel powerless again. My dad died at age 51 of a massive heart attack and I found myself missing the sober version of my father. While on my journey to find the "right man", I met one that had some of the same characteristics as my father, minus the alcoholism.

Let me say in fairness that I have been married more than once. We fell in love and married and I had no idea was to befall me. I spent the next few years in the middle an abusive relationship. I noticed that I was growing numb to the disgrace and loss of self but received a wake up call from my doctor who told me that I needed to face the fear of not wanting to confront the very thing that was making me sick... the abuse and my spouse. My resting heart rate was close to 100 and my BP was terribly abnormal for me. The normal way by which other spouses share opinions, thoughts and ideas were not welcome by my spouse. Having to tolerate internet pornography and many other unacceptable things for me was intolerable. I reached a point in my life when I had to come face to face with the very thing I had been afraid of my whole life I HAD TO CONFRONT MY FEAR TO FIND MY COURAGE. I had to find my way to something I call, confident courage. The kind of courage that compels you to do the right thing regardless of rejection or fear. I confronted my spouse, set my boundaries for MY LIFE and I took my place. I began to journal during this fearful time in my life and it has now taken the form of a book called, "Taking Your Place."