I want to talk to you about Melody Murray, a woman whose story shook me to my core. If you’ve ever felt like the weight of your past was too much to carry, like your heart might break from holding it all in, you need to hear her story. Melody—a therapist, a survivor, and a woman who’s had to make impossible choices—will show you what it really means to choose yourself. And let me tell you, it’s not easy. It’s not wrapped in a neat little bow. But it’s real, and it’s powerful.
A Robbery That Opened Old Wounds
Imagine waking up one day, thinking it’s just another morning, and then realizing your world has been turned upside down. That’s how it started for Melody. She opened her garage door, and everything she thought was secure was gone. Stolen. It wasn’t just the things that were taken—it was her sense of safety, her peace of mind.
But as devastating as that robbery was, it ripped open scars much deeper than material loss. It brought back the unspeakable horrors of her childhood—the memories of being molested by her stepfather. Memories she had buried for decades. On top of that, she was grieving the loss of her mother and grandmother, grappling with failed fertility treatments, and trying to keep herself together as a mental health therapist, even as she was silently falling apart.
She was supposed to have the answers, right? To know how to handle everything, how to fix things? But here’s the truth that hit me like a punch to the gut: even therapists need saving sometimes. Even healers can break.
Choosing Yourself When Love Isn’t Enough
One of the most heartbreaking parts of Melody’s story is her relationship with her niece. Melody stepped up when her sister, who was battling addiction, couldn’t. She tried to be the mother she never had—the protector, the nurturer. But somewhere along the way, she realized something that must have felt like betrayal: she couldn’t save her niece. She couldn’t fix her sister. And she couldn’t sacrifice herself any longer.
As women, we are told it’s our job to take care of everyone. To put ourselves last. But at what cost? Melody learned the hard way that loving someone doesn’t mean losing yourself.
She had to make the excruciating decision to send her niece back to her sister, to step out of the role she had forced herself into. It was the hardest thing she ever did, and it broke her heart. But it was also the bravest thing she ever did. She chose herself.
The Radical Act of Self-Care When Choosing Yourself
Here’s the thing—self-care isn’t a bath bomb and a glass of wine. It’s hard. It’s messy. It’s saying no when everyone wants you to say yes.
Melody had to set boundaries with her family, with her work, and with herself. She came up with something she calls “The 4 Ds”—Delete, Delegate, Delay, Do. It’s how she started to reclaim her life, piece by painful piece.
I don’t know about you, but this hits home for me. How many of us are drowning in responsibilities, saying yes because we’re afraid of disappointing someone, afraid of being called selfish? Melody had to face that fear head-on. And she did. She deleted the things she couldn’t control, she delegated what wasn’t hers to carry, she delayed what didn’t need immediate attention, and she did what she could with what was left.
But more than anything, she chose to live. She chose to heal.
Why We Need to Tell Our Stories
Melody’s story is one of many in Speak Up Against Stigma, an anthology that gathers the voices of women who have faced the unimaginable and found their way through. These stories aren’t just words on a page—they are lifelines. They are proof that no matter how broken you feel, no matter how lost, you are not alone.
Melody’s words hit me deeply when she said, “I didn’t return to my old self. I built a new me with the courage and scars from my past.” That’s what this book is about—about rebuilding, about surviving, and about choosing yourself even when it feels impossible.
You Need This Book
I want you to get this book. Not because I’m trying to sell you something but because I know what it feels like to need a reminder that we aren’t alone in our struggles. Melody’s story is just one of many that will show you that healing is possible, that there is life on the other side of the pain, and that you can choose yourself, no matter how hard it seems.
So, if you’re ready to be moved, to cry, to heal, and to feel the power of women’s stories—order Speak Up Against Stigma today. Let these stories be the lifeline you didn’t know you needed.
Because you deserve to choose you, just like Melody did.
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