Kathy begins this episode by telling us about a truly pivotal moment in her life when she took it upon herself to face her traumas — sexual assaults she experienced as a young teen. What makes this experience remarkable is the comforting and unwavering presence of the most important person in her invisible village — her husband, Joe.
Moreover, Kathy reflects on her life in Alice Springs, from moving out of Matthews Cottage and into a new foster home to risky teenage pursuits with friends to extreme loneliness around the holidays to landing a job at Woolworths and living independently at 16 to making the decision to move to Perth.
Kathy was determined to find the love, stability, and sense of belonging she desperately sought. She travels across the country, anxious yet thrilled about this chance to start fresh.
This episode will give us a chance to think about our own experiences and traumas and how these have affected the way we live our lives today. Kathy reminds us that dysfunction doesn’t have to be permanent and recognition is the first step toward healing.
Quotes
“It is truly remarkable how the body and mind work to protect us, particularly when something is so traumatic, locking it down until we are ready to let it out, connect and heal.” - Kathy Hoolahan
“This means either you or someone you know has experienced abuse. We need to be talking about it and being comfortable with uncomfortable.” - Kathy Hoolahan
“Dysfunctionality does not have to be permanent. The strength that we can gather from our invisible village comes to us in so many different ways, like soothing hands reaching out to lift us back up, enabling us to get to the next phase of whatever path our lives are on.” - Kathy Hoolahan
