A Message to Readers: As an adult, I often felt like a kid was trapped inside me. Especially when things weren’t going well. I felt isolated, alone and out of place around others. For much of my life, I said, “Yes” when I really wanted to say, “No”. Why did I say yes? How can I get out of it? At some point, I noticed myself having extreme reactions disproportionate to what was actually occurring in real time. There were also the thoughts and emotions that didn’t feel like my own. Sometimes, I felt completely imprisoned…like I had no other option. The thought of talking to others about these things resulted in intense internal fear…a fear that “they” would think I was crazy…and either mock, shame, or abandon me. Part of me felt phony…like I had to please others in order to fit in and be accepted. It was as if my only value was always doing things for everybody else. Faking it and suffering in silence was how I “behaved”. I had to. To survive my childhood. I dutifully carried that insane behavior into adulthood. I am an adult child of alcoholic parents and dysfunction. But wait, there’s more…my one and only sibling tortured and abused me and I experienced overlapping molestation and trauma. Talk about an overachiever! Legacy Loops: Healing Me, Healing You, is third in a series of memoirs detailing my healing journey. This bold, inspiring, and insightful work candidly and courageously explores my innermost thoughts. And, more importantly, the recovery I enjoy today. To anyone who may be suffering in silence, “It’s safe to come out of hiding, you’re not alone.” Sherri A. Lynn