Sexual Assault Survivors Share Beautiful Love Letters to Themselves and Others

September 26, 2015 / Tani Ikeda

(Content Warning: sexual assault)

“The sun will shine again.”

Survivors of sexual assault have to face so many myths and misunderstandings about our experiences. If you’re a survivor, here’s a powerful reminder that you’ve got at least one incredible person who understands what you’ve been through like nobody else – and that’s you.

Media justice organizer and filmmaker Tani Ikeda’s Survivor Love Letter project has survivors publicly proclaiming their self-love with letters to themselves. Healing is an ongoing process, and as Ikeda wrote, this project helps survivors “reflect on the ways we heal ourselves and our communities.”

Check out some of these wonderful letters below, and visit the #SurvivorLoveLetter Tumblr page for more.

With Love,
Everyday Feminism

Click for the Transcript

Image 1

Dear survivor,

Don’t worry, the sun will shine again. As a survivor myself, I know that it is so tough and sometimes you think the dark days won’t change, but they will.

You see the sun up there? That’s going to be you. I just want you to know that none of it was your fault. If you’ve heard this before, believe me when I say it: you couldn’t have changed anything & it’s not your fault. You did not deserve it cuz you are perf. <3

Just like a flower, you will grow again and blossom.

– Amy Q <3

Image 2

You are LOVED, TRUSTED, seen. heard. valuded. Celebrated, & believed, worthy… Beyond comprehension, limitations, expectation, definitions. thrive. HOPE. survive. be! You can!

Image 3

A letter about my rights,

[Channeling the Mother Warrior Survivors Before Me]

My body is my own, my own, my mown. The scars prove I have lived. The curves allow me to take up space. I am not yours. I am not a public space. I am defined by me alone. I am not a produce of violence, but of transformative, revolutionary LOVE! It took us a minute to get here, but we’re here!

Love,

Black Girl Magic

Image 4

#survivorloveletter

never forget how strong you are. remember that you did EVERYTHING you could to survive that moment. remember that you ARE strong. you ARE worthy. you WILL overcome this pain. you are loved. you ARE BELIEVED

<3 maddie

Image 5

Dear Warrior,

You are an incredible person and incredibly strong. We go through life having to face evil BUT! When it’s over and we’re still alive and walking, that’s how you know you survived & overcame that evil. You are not alone! You are a fierce warrior & nothing can bring you down! I send my love & strength to you!!

Image 6

Dear Survivor,

It’s okay if you’re angry

It’s okay if it happened a long time ago

It’s okay if you’re on an emotional roller coaster

It’s okay if you don’t know if you’ll ever “be over it”

REMEMBER

You are worthy of love

This is YOUR journey of healing

We support you

I support you

Love,

Another Survivor

To learn more about this topic, check out:

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#survivorloveletter is a call to survivors of sexual violence and our loved ones to publicly celebrate our lives. By telling our stories we seek to build knowledge and reflect on the ways we heal ourselves and our communities. Write a #survivorloveletter and submit it to our tumblr or email your letter to [email protected]. Help us flood the internet with love for survivors using the hashtag #survivorloveletter.

Tani Ikeda is an award-winning director who creates narratives, documentaries, music videos, and commercial films. At the age of 21, Tani Ikeda co-founded imMEDIAte Justice, a summer workshop and community outreach program for girls devoted to revolutionizing sex education through filmmaking. She is the current executive director of imMEDIAte Justice and was named one of the “25 Visionaries Who are Changing Your World,” by the Utne Reader. Check out her website and follow her on Twitter @taniappleseed.