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Dr Donna Blevins's avatar

Thank you Adrian for reading and commenting! 🤗

I'm hoping it's uplifting that I speak about it and tell the truth.

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Nicola Vitkovich's avatar

Donna you are a bold, beautiful, bad-ass. Your radical authenticity is as refreshing as it is inspiring. It is easy to see how your past wounds have become a catalyst to passionately make a difference in the world.

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Dr Donna Blevins's avatar

Ah, Nicole, thank you for crafting that lovely comment. I sighed when I read it 💜

Now this is interesting. I accept being "a bold, beautiful, bad-ass!"

For I'm known as B3 - Big Badass Bitch 😂🤣😂

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Teri Leigh 💜's avatar

Yet again, you fill a post with a thousand Easter eggs to deeper stories I want to read. Your life is a soap opera of that adage “the truth is stranger than fiction”. I have no doubt you’ll pull out some story of dying and coming back to life with a spiritual awakening after being possessed by the devil like Marlena from Days of Our Lives. But this is better because it’s real. And you have emerged as a matriarch with an attitude and a tender heart. I love you dear friend.

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Dr Donna Blevins's avatar

It takes courage to share raw truths, and I'm praying they give benefits to readers, Teri.

I'm far from a drama queen, but I must admit, unpacking and writing the stories took me to the place of reliving then on a visceral level.

I never expected to re-experience these wide range of feelings. After the last three posts, I'm unofficially calling them the first three chapters of Fifty Shades of Donna.

I love you from deep in my soul, Teri 💜

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Teri Leigh 💜's avatar

welcome to the beast that is memoir writing. You have to rip open the wound that healed itself over, dig into it, pull out the contents, and figure out how to stitch it back up again with all its insides spilled out for the world to see. This is writing.

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Janet Ridsdale's avatar

Coach, thank you for being so open and transparent about sharing this part of your heartbreaking journey. It's so inspiring to hear you talk about moving through 'the fire' and being whole and willing walk with others on their life paths. Look forward to hearing more 🙏❤️

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Dr Donna Blevins's avatar

Dear sweet Janet, I'm sure I had replied to this comment earlier, but where did it go? 🤪

I'm hoping that sharing my truths will open healing to one person at a time 💜

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Janet Ridsdale's avatar

You are my friend, you are 💜

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Dr Donna Blevins's avatar

One day at a time.

One person at a time.

It's a joy having you along side me for this amazing ride, Janet 💜

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Janet Ridsdale's avatar

💜

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Sirah's avatar

Donna, I am blown away by your story.

You are an inspiration and incredibly brave to share such intimate details about your journey.

Bravo!

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Dr Donna Blevins's avatar

Sirah, thank you! I'm blown away that I did and profoundly grateful that husband #3 was 110% supportive of me sharing this.

The funny thing is, even though I haven't had a drink of alcohol for decades, I awoke this morning feeling "hung over"

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Sirah's avatar

I like hub#3–we all need supportive souls in our lives.

The fact that you keep going and motivating others is so amazing. 🤩

Cheers to you (with a mocktail in hand:))

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Dr Donna Blevins's avatar

@Sirah Cheema thank you! I shared your appreciation of hub#3 with him. He's so grateful for you, too 💕

His pride in me for speaking the truth overshadows shame-residue. Thankfully!

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Sirah's avatar

Yay!!😀

Pride and truth is the perfect frequency to be on. Far away from sludgy shame.

🥰

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Sue Reid's avatar

You are one amazing lady Donna. Thank you for making it through 🤗

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Dr Donna Blevins's avatar

Thank you Sue for those lovely words! I needed that this morning. Even though I haven't had a drink of alcohol for decades, this morning I feel "hung over." LOL

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Adrian Hop's avatar

Thank you Donna for sharing. I know it wasn't easy but it's uplifting to see that you found the strength to walk away and do the thing that was right for you.

This is the path to healing... When you start to discover who you really are by understanding who you are not.

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Dr Donna Blevins's avatar

When I replied to your comment just after 6am this morning, it looks like I was too sleepy eyed to see that I was not directly replying to you, Adrian 😁

I do hope that my transparency gives hope to one person at a time.

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Thérèse Ralston's avatar

Yes, Ibthink you are a big, beautiful matriarch. To come out of those first two marriages to remake and reform your entire life is miraculous. That was some magic trick you achieved.

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Dr Donna Blevins's avatar

Ahhh... How kind of you to say, Therese! Finally sharing my truths is my biggest point of transformation

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Cindy the “Psycho” Therapist 😉's avatar

Donna, I listened to your most recent podcast and when I heard the words--pimp and prostitute--my curiosity compelled me to listen to this. It made me feel so much for the young woman trying to find her way. Thank you for being so tranparent and real!

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Dr Donna Blevins's avatar

Thank you, Cindy! Yesterday, an accountability buddy suggested I pin the most recent and add links to the posts I mentioned. I'm going to do that.

Every time I wonder if I'm on the best path, I see a comment like this, or am able to spend some time connecting on Zoom, and receive verification to keep doing what I'm doing.

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Patricia Ross's avatar

Subscribed and see myself in you in many ways. Going from not caring whether I lived or died (perhaps leaning a little more toward the latter), finding a way to turn my life around one day at a time 43 years ago has allowed me to get to 86 with most of my marbles. Yay us!

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Dr Donna Blevins's avatar

Oh my, dear sweet Patricia! I missed seeing this lovely comment, and I'm delighted to have a big sister to share the journey. I'm eager to read more of your posts as well.

Thank you and, yes, Yay, us!!

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Thérèse Ralston's avatar

Thank you for being so brave, so wild, untamed, individual, and strong

YOU HAVE REVEALED YOURSELF AS A WOMAN WORTH KNOWING

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Dr Donna Blevins's avatar

Dear sweet Therese. I missed this comment, and it's so rewarding to see your words:

"YOU HAVE REVEALED YOURSELF AS A WOMAN WORTH KNOWING"

I accept and receive that with love and grace.

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Jayde Metcalfe's avatar

Donna, what can I say? This is amazing, heartbreaking, hopeful and more. You are a master storyteller. So glad you didn't let anyone dim your light. x

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Dr Donna Blevins's avatar

Jayde, I have so many mixed feelings sharing my experiences. Hope is one that helps me sigh with relief. I had no idea those memories were still so alive.

Thank you so much! I am savoring being called a "master storyteller" - I accept 💜

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Teyani Whitman's avatar

💞 thank you for sharing so courageously.

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Dr Donna Blevins's avatar

Thank YOU, Teyani 💕 I hope my courage overwrites the shame residue. Better yet, rewrites it and gives hope

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Teyani Whitman's avatar

I believe that courage in sharing your story should shift the shame emotion over to a society that would allow a young woman to leave a hospital as you did… no money, no where to go, in dirty clothes, and defenseless. That’s where the shame must now land. You were staying alive, and a predator picked you like a ripe strawberry. No young woman should ever be abandoned like that in this country. The truth that you faced is horrific. Allowing vulnerable people to be thrown to the wolves is the fault of a society that looks the other way.

While accepting responsibility for your choices, which is what I hear you doing, is a reclaiming of your power, it must also be said that you had no other choices open to you.

Today’s shocking news blurb out of Detroit about a woman and two children freezing to death in their car because the wheels of guv’mt looked the other way. Those people who did that KNEWw she had no other choices, they and their agency that did that should be ashamed of themselves.

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Wendy Scott's avatar

Wow, Donna, what a story!

Thanks for sharing. And good on you for rescuing those girls. Those FBI guys should be ashamed of themselves, but unfortunately, that was the culture back then and they could get away with it.

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Dr Donna Blevins's avatar

Wendy, thank you! 💜

Looking back, I feel guilty fleeing and leaving so many girls on the streets.

I hope the culture inside organizations has evolved to caring more.

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Wendy Scott's avatar

You did what you could, and remember that you made a huge difference to the girls you did help.

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Dr Donna Blevins's avatar

Thanks Wendy. I'm visioning that 💞

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Mary Braun Bates, MD's avatar

Wow! What a story! I am glad you made it through that to be 70! Thank you for saying it all outloud. Cheers to hubs #3!

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Mary Braun Bates, MD's avatar

I am hoping there is a post in the future about those FBI agents learning about what serving and protecting means.

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Dr Donna Blevins's avatar

I confess, Mary. I've thought about approaching FBI about being a keynote speaker at their national convention or taking my MindShifting technology to their front lines, but do I dare?

WOW! Seeing that in print took my breath away. Do I dare?

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Mary Braun Bates, MD's avatar

OMG! Yes! in all the caps! and with all the italics and exclamation points!!!

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Mary Braun Bates, MD's avatar

What a complete turn around and what a great thing for people who are trapped to see. There's a way out! And you would do it so gracefully. You would not shame the agents or agency for treating you badly. It would be a chance for everyone to learn and say, "Geez! we've gotten a lot smarter since then. We've learned a lot about each other's humanity."

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Dr Donna Blevins's avatar

Never before considered approaching the FBI, but it's now going on my "consider this" list! At the top ⬆️

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Dr Donna Blevins's avatar

Thank you, Mary! I'm shored up by hubs #3 to speak the truth outloud. I love him even more when he says, "Ship it!"

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Lynn Reilly's avatar

Donna, my heart ached for you at every word. I’m inspired by your strength and learned wisdom. Thank you for your courage and your story. So very glad you’re here and sharing.

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Dr Donna Blevins's avatar

Thank you, Lynn 💕 I surprised myself how much my heart ached unpacking this. So many emotions were triggered and questions I kept asking myself, like, "Do I dare?"

Hubs#3 gave me courage!

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