How I Came to Know Love

By Jesse Volpato

How I Came to Know Love was written with the intent to give a brief autobiographical account of Jesse Volpato's early years in order to bring her poetry to life, one could not be published without the other. She struggled, as any young child would, raised in an abusive environment but a voice inside told her to remain strong. Jesse offers some insight into the tools she has used to overcome addiction and a diagnosis of PTSD. Her poetry reflects the rawness of her reality and the evolution from girl to woman.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Jul 1, 2017
• ISBN: 9781387071616

Book preview

How I Came to Know Love

HOW I CAME TO KNOW LOVE

Copyright © 2017 by Jesse Volpato

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review or scholarly journal.

First Printing: 2017

ISBN 978-1-387-07161-6

Published by Jesse Volpato

Calgary, Alberta, Canada

T2W 4S2

PREFACE

I want to share with you my journey of self discovery and self love. In order to do so I have to peel away the layers of time and let the wounded child speak a bit. She has so much to say that is of value. Without the dark days the light ones are just not as bright. And without the wounded child I would not be half the person that I am today. What a gift this life has been. I am putting it out there that by the time that you turn the last page you will have come to know love just as I have by reflecting on your life and connecting the dots that were once perhaps insignificant. Before you turn the pages and dive into my truth, I want you to know why I am sharing my story.

Since I was a little girl I felt in my heart that it was my life's purpose to be a mother and to help others, to use my experience as a gift of lessons. I would like to lay out the lessons I've learned in the order they were learned in an effort to help you in your life journey. We cannot help another without first helping ourselves. As I share the pieces of me that I was once ashamed and afraid of, the pain melts away. Writing has healed me and continues to show me the way, it is a healthy escape. My life and success is a testament of love. I want to inspire you to feel that for yourself, if perhaps you too have felt or are feeling hopeless. I want to inspire compassion, if you have not experienced the intrusions that so many of us have. I wish to shed some light on what it is like to live a full life after the appeals of death diminish. So many of us suffer with mental health issues and I feel it is beneficial for you, the reader, to get a first hand honest look inside a brain that lives with PTSD. I'm sharing this to give hope, that good overrules evil. That life is worth living. That you are of value, that I am of value. Clear your mind, envision a little girl with large brown eyes and brown hair. Born into a life where she would be hurt by those around her. A girl set up for failure but who heard the divine speak and she not only learned to listen but would learn to trust that voice.

THE BEGINNING

Prepare to be honest with yourself. This is the key to knowing and accepting love - Jesse Volpato

I was born on February 23, 1988 in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. The day I was born, highways were shut down and my mom was flown by helicopter from North Bay to the Sault Ste. Marie General hospital. She shared with me her memory of the handsome pilot and feeling embarrassed in her state. My mother is metis and my father is a half hungarian yank. My maiden name, Boros, inherited by my father apparently means drunk, how romantic.

As a child I fell victim and bore witness to much abuse. I saw frightening interactions between adults and other children. Imagine being a child, believing that abuse was a just a part of life. Believing that your being alive was a major source of frustration. This is what I had observed as a child. I learned from a very young age to be very quiet and listen well to avoid being