Speak Loud

What a joy it was to speak with Rena Romano for the last episode of the season. Rena has gone from childhood sexual abuse to contemplating suicide, from appearing on the Oprah Show to the TEDx stage. She’s a respected speaker, author, TEDx coach, and a “sur-THRIVER” of abuse with a mission to show people how to live the endless possibilities of positive life after trauma. Rena’s abuse persisted for nearly 20 years, from age 4. At such a young age, she had no language for what was happening to her, and was unable to speak up about what she was going through. When she was older, she knew it would have torn her family apart to speak up, but as an adult reflects that it’s not the child’s responsibility to stop the crime. Even after escaping her situation, Rena still struggled with abuse in early adulthood. Perpetrators of rape and abuse were like a lion sniffing out blood, sensing when their victims are most weak or wounded. Rena was addicted to abuse, believing it to be what love looked like, and continued to at