People of Georgian: Riding ‘roller coaster from hell’ leads to self-discovery, happiness

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The Georgian community is full of unique, inspiring perspectives —and we’re sharing them as part of an ongoing series.

People of Georgian: Meet Jenni Thompson

Trigger warning: rape and sexual assault.

For a long time, life felt very difficult for me.

When I was 25 years old, in the span of a few months, I was hit by a drunk driver – leading to years of debilitating back pain – and I was raped and sexually assaulted.

For years after that, I felt like I was strapped into a roller coaster from hell that was forcibly driving me through major physical and emotional ups and downs that I wanted nothing to do with.

Finding a silver lining

But an amazing thing can happen when you’re faced with life-changing trauma: you can actually move through it and eventually find a silver lining.

A person takes a selfie against a backdrop of a flowering tree.

As much as I hated what happened to me, I dove into therapy and openly shared my experiences with loved ones, and it made me feel freer the more steps I took.

I was not a victim; I was a survivor. And suddenly, I was more confident and unafraid to stand up and speak for myself than before. Despite the pain, I had become a better me who I loved more.

Two adults, one child and a dog take a selfie together in front of a marsh. — *Jenni with her son, Felix, partner, Jason, and dog, Gus.*

‘I did my best to keep my eyes looking beyond the horizon’

But life isn’t a straight path, and in my late 30s, I found myself starting over again with my son after a marriage breakup. It was another downward dive on that roller coaster.

For anyone who’s been on that particular ride, it’s far from an easy one. I was once told it feels like being torn apart from the inside, and I can confirm that’s pretty accurate.

But I did my best to keep my eyes looking beyond the horizon – hanging onto the hope of a happier future – and ever so slowly, I found my way through.

A person stands in a lake's shallow water and smiles with a sunset behind them in the distance. — *Jenni at one of her favourite vacation spots, Long Point along Lake Erie.*

Jenni finds herself and true happiness

The unexpected bonus was that when I crawled out from under all that pain, I found me again, and what a beautiful gift that was to myself.

I turned 40 years old this year, and I finally feel truly happy. Not grasping at glimpses of it in between bouts of stress, anxiety or trauma – but truly happy, like I could strap myself into that roller coaster myself because I know everything is going to be fine.

A person stands in a lake up to their waist, facing away from the camera, and puts their arms in the air. — *Jenni’s embracing more happiness.*

I have a renewed sense of love, respect and worth for myself.

I have a new partner who shows me every day what real love is.

I provide a loving home for my son where laughter and imagination run rampant.

And I’m pregnant with a new little boy who will make his entrance this summer.

Two people stand together in a wooded area. — *Jenni and her partner, Jason, are expecting a baby this summer.*

‘Life is not a straight line’

As a kid, I never imagined this was how my life would play out. Kids tend to imagine an ease of adulthood after high school – maybe you buy a house, find someone to love, get a pet, secure a job.

But what I’ve learned is that life is not a straight line, it doesn’t care what expectations you have, and the timelines you may carry around in your head don’t mean a thing.

Life will unfold as it should, and it’s up to you to figure out how to ride that roller coaster – let go, hands up – and come out the other side finding out what you’re made of, what you want and what makes you happy.

The more you love and respect yourself, the more you’ll find out who you are.

Jenni Thompson (she/her), Media Relations Officer at Georgian College.