Hush, Child: Finding My Voice & Breaking the Silence
A web of family lies began to unravel during a session of Dale Lykins' voice therapy. It defined his existence, causing him to hold tension in his body in an attempt to protect himself.
Dale didn't trust very many people, including himself. He thought he was a disappointment, and carried himself accordingly. He tried making everyone happy so he would feel that he had worth. On top of his childhood of abuse and bullying, his evangelical Christian church taught him that God both hated him and loved him at the same time. Dale believed them. When his family truths were exposed and he found his voice, he knew that the "struggle" with same-sex attraction he felt throughout his life was not something he could just talk or pray away. Dale spoke the truth about his sexuality to his wife and their adult kids and, finally, to the rest of the world.
In Hush, Child: Finding My Voice & Breaking the Silence, Dale Lykins shares his winding journey and a captivating story for people who, like him, have lost their own voices and want to take them back.
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This book is remarkable in its construction. It travels from whimsically-poetic story telling to raw and painful truth-telling.
Dale tells about a childhood spent playing on a farm and romping through the woods with a family dog. And then he unfolds the truth of abuse, neglect, lies, and bullying. He shares how these painful pieces of history physically manifest in his voice, and then the hard work of confronting them. Then finally, the freedom that comes from authenticity and honesty.
Dale's story is fantastically unique: a pastor from conservative, rural Ohio is now an openly gay man in a mixed orientation marriage leading a progressive faith community of radical acceptance. What a unique life journey! The honesty and openness of the book can't help but make the reader think about their own life story and how it has been shaped.
From the courage of Dale's writing and the devastating nature of abuse and family lies, to the redemption of truth telling and healthy community: This book is a must-read.
