This week I have interviewed three women on Woman's Hour, whose words have stopped people in their tracks and rightly so. First came Merry Varney, the lawyer for the Russell family, helping them taking on the big tech giants after their beloved daughter Molly took her own life in 2017 aged 14. Last week at an inquest into what happened, a coroner ruled for the first time in this country that social media contributed to a child's death.
I caught all these interviews and was stopped in my tracks each time. Incredible women not shying from the full extent and impact of their experiences. Emma, what a joy it is to listen to your work.
Thank you for following on from those powerful interviews. You’re right, there are words, and we shouldn’t always wait until we have what we think are the ‘right ones ‘ either xx
Emma. You’re so right. Finding the words is hard, especially when society likes us to stay quiet and ‘nice’.
Yesterday I stood up to my abusive, bullying neighbour. I allowed myself to use the same force and energy he was using at me back at him. And though it wasn’t pretty, and I trembled throughout, I’m proud of myself. He’s a bully and he needs to be met and shown he can’t get away with it.
My history of having been abused by my father, of him putting the kitchen dishcloth in my mouth with soap to ‘wash it out’ when he didn’t like what I was saying, has made it hard for me to stand up for myself but years of trauma therapy are paying off and yesterday I took action. I didn’t lose it and I shouted back. I feel good!
Thanks for everything you’re doing for women. And for the way in which you share your Jewishness too - that’s a frontier I’m getting to…
Your interviews were brilliant. I think you sell yourself a little short. Your immense e capacity for empathy creates a space where people feel safe enough and at ease enough to share with you their genuine truths. Well done to these women for sharing but equally well done to you, Emma, for creating the space to enable the sharing.
And CONGRATULATIONS on your pending arrival. You give us all hope 🙏🏻 #trying xxxx
Thanks for sharing this Emma, it’s Baby Loss Awareness Week and, encouraged by the miscarriage association, I found words to reflect on my experience, hoping it would bring others a sense of being seen and support (shared below in case useful to others here). I will find it hard no doubt, but will listen to these interviews too-- if they women found the courages to find the words, their stories deserve to be heard x
I caught all these interviews and was stopped in my tracks each time. Incredible women not shying from the full extent and impact of their experiences. Emma, what a joy it is to listen to your work.
Thank you for following on from those powerful interviews. You’re right, there are words, and we shouldn’t always wait until we have what we think are the ‘right ones ‘ either xx
Oh wow, thank you for sharing this, I will make a quiet space this weekend to listen to these interviews xxx
Emma. You’re so right. Finding the words is hard, especially when society likes us to stay quiet and ‘nice’.
Yesterday I stood up to my abusive, bullying neighbour. I allowed myself to use the same force and energy he was using at me back at him. And though it wasn’t pretty, and I trembled throughout, I’m proud of myself. He’s a bully and he needs to be met and shown he can’t get away with it.
My history of having been abused by my father, of him putting the kitchen dishcloth in my mouth with soap to ‘wash it out’ when he didn’t like what I was saying, has made it hard for me to stand up for myself but years of trauma therapy are paying off and yesterday I took action. I didn’t lose it and I shouted back. I feel good!
Thanks for everything you’re doing for women. And for the way in which you share your Jewishness too - that’s a frontier I’m getting to…
Warmly
Sarahx
Your interviews were brilliant. I think you sell yourself a little short. Your immense e capacity for empathy creates a space where people feel safe enough and at ease enough to share with you their genuine truths. Well done to these women for sharing but equally well done to you, Emma, for creating the space to enable the sharing.
And CONGRATULATIONS on your pending arrival. You give us all hope 🙏🏻 #trying xxxx
This is such a powerful post!
I know of and have been upset and angered by them all but missed your interviews.
I will listen to them now to hear these amazing women in their own words.
Thank you for providing them with the space to speak.
Might interest you
https://karramba.se
Thanks for sharing this Emma, it’s Baby Loss Awareness Week and, encouraged by the miscarriage association, I found words to reflect on my experience, hoping it would bring others a sense of being seen and support (shared below in case useful to others here). I will find it hard no doubt, but will listen to these interviews too-- if they women found the courages to find the words, their stories deserve to be heard x
https://www.miscarriageassociation.org.uk/story/a-letter-from-hannah/