15 Comments
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Coffee with a Mom's avatar

This is so well written & compelling, thank you for posting this

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Ashleigh Vaughn's avatar

Thank you for reading!!

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Ashley Jay's avatar

Ohhh, I love the cliffhanger in there & I felt that..”I’ve lived it” moment in this ♥️

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Ashleigh Vaughn's avatar

Thank you! I felt so proud writing that part because I know how different I pictured my life back then and how miserable I would've been had I lived exactly how I thought I would!

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Emily's avatar

This was so beautiful. My 18 year-old self was in the very early stages of healing from SA, a process which took over a decade of pain, failures, adventure, and ultimately healing.

Our life is nothing like we thought it would be. It looks so different from her plans, but is better in so many ways. She gets to cosplay as a suburban mom and entrepreneur, which lets her sneak into spaces where she can make change from the inside.

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Ashleigh Vaughn's avatar

I love this!! If only we could really go back and give ourselves the messages we really needed at that time.

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linisa's avatar

Such a thoughtful read. Will there be a Part 2? I’m really curious about where that deeper convo is headed!

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Ashleigh Vaughn's avatar

Oooh I hadn’t thought about it but maybe!

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A. Wilder Westgate's avatar

Younger me would be shocked by a few things, too. I love the tenderness in this.

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Ashleigh Vaughn's avatar

Thank you A!

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Karen Wesley's avatar

I love this. What a great experiment. I'm happy to hear that you are in a good place and feeling supported. Maybe I'll get there too when I grow up.

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Ashleigh Vaughn's avatar

Thank you Karen, and you will.. you will!!

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Shani's avatar

Stunning. We def. need a part 2!

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Ashleigh Vaughn's avatar

Thank you Shani! I guess I need to get to writing, huh?

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Shani's avatar

Yes, please and thank you!

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