Forgetting: that, too, was the heart's slow way of healing, but it could only be done alone. Love and loss turns us into the most solitary of creatures, their mysteries can never entirely be shared.

Forgetting is not forgettingForgetting is ‘Letting things pass’When Existence opens up to EssenceAnd rises above and beyondThe path of Transcendence opensLove goes beyond DeathThe body disappears The person livesIn LoveAnd in this LoveRemembrance is born(Page 91)

Memory repression thrives in shame, secrecy, and shock. The shame and degradation experienced during sexual assault is profound, especially for children who have no concept of what is happening to them or why. Sexual abuse is so bizarre and horrible that the frightened child feels compelled to bury the event deep inside his or her mind.