Today’s feature for #SurvivorSunday is Jason Davis. A victim of child abuse and a witness to his mother’s own continuous nightmare, Jason would later struggle with a personal turmoil that many of us couldn’t fathom. Now a survivor turned advocate and motivational speaker, Jason dedicates his time to bringing awareness to domestic violence with a special place in his heart for at risk youth. Here we share an open letter written by Jason to his childhood neighbor.

Jason’s Story

Dear neighbor,

I write this letter with hopes of a better tomorrow but my reality tells me different. I decide to write you because as far as a man goes you were the closest to me, in my time of pain and need. You only lived two doors down from my door way of hell. The look you would so often give me instead of a simple sign to let me know, you knew we couldn’t defend ourselves. Oh how I wish to have your age and size maybe I fight back or long enough so my mom could get away for the night. I often felt like a fool, thinking tears would stop me or my mother’s blows. She was knocked to the floor more times then I care to remember. How often did you hear our cries? Was it hard listening to our struggles? Did you feel less of a man for never helping? These are questions I always wanted to ask you but never could get the nerve to ask you. I’m not sure if you cared to learn our names. I guess it was all better that way. I guess to get through your day not putting names to the faces of the broken.

Many nights passed as I daydream of a superhero, he would bust through the door and come to the aid of me and my mother. Often my daydreams would end up short lived disturbed by the rage of one man who’s only outlet happened to be taken out on his oldest son and wife. So as I write this letter to you in hopes that you read it and take a piece of our hurt away. You didn’t rescue me as a little boy in a world of darkness and confusion. As I look back on things now I am able see how powerful and strong of an impact the hand can be. For a hand can be closed tight or even open but when you add rage and hate behind it’s force the dynamics of the hand changes and changes lives forever. As I grew older I often wonder would I remain silent if I witnessed someone going through the pain I did as a boy. Would I one day believe all that I was going through to be norm and began to strike my love ones when angered.

When I started to write this letter I had no clue on where the letter would take me but I’m glad I did it. I realize that my pain can from my silence, I feel free expressing myself in this letter even if you never reply, my thoughts are no longer in prison. I decided to be neither man, not you nor my father. I am a man now that speaks up when I’m wronged or if I see another person being treated wrongly. I want you to know now that I’m free and that I forgave you and my abuser my father.

Your Neighbor,
Jason Davis