E715 - Babs Walters - Facing The Jaguar - Telling is Healing

EPISODE 715 - Babs Walters - Facing The Jaguar - Telling is Healing

In this moving episode, author Babs Walters discusses her memoir Facing the Jaguar, a deeply personal story of trauma, healing, and transformation. Speaking from her home in sunny Florida, she reflects on the lifelong promise she made to write her story and how the process of sharing it became both a journey of self-discovery and a tool for helping others confront their own pain.

Babs traces the origins of her memoir back to childhood, when she first dreamed of telling the truth about her family’s secrets. But it wasn’t until decades later—and after significant healing—that she could write from a place of grace instead of anger. Early writing attempts were too raw, she recalls, even her NYU professor once told her that “even War and Peace has peace in it.” Therapy and time allowed her to transform her painful experience into a message of hope, forgiveness, and empowerment.

She also explains how she learned the craft of memoir writing—understanding that an autobiography tells a life story, while a memoir shares one story within a life. Through multiple writing courses, Babs mastered structure, pacing, and the importance of universal themes. Her editor encouraged her to shape her narrative around recurring imagery from her childhood, including a haunting dream about a jaguar that became both a metaphor for fear and a symbol of strength. This dream later inspired the book’s powerful title, Facing the Jaguar, signifying her confrontation with her father, the man who caused her deepest trauma.

Beyond recounting abuse, Babs sought to make her book a story of survival and purpose. She hopes to inspire readers to break cycles of generational trauma, release shame, and find their voices. Facing the Jaguar speaks directly to survivors, especially women, people in recovery, and anyone ready to face painful truths. She cautions, however, that healing is a gradual process—“a journey, not a destination.” Her short, vignette-style chapters let readers pause and regroup as they process emotional material.

Babs now uses her platform and website to continue helping others. She offers resources, writing workshops, and a checklist titled “How to Tell When You’re Ready to Tell.” She reminds listeners that not every story must be shared publicly—sometimes healing begins privately, even if it’s just writing something down and letting it go. Her site also invites visitors to leave anonymous postcards sharing secrets as a symbolic step toward release and honesty.

Perhaps the most poignant part of the conversation is Babs’s reflection on love and recognition. Her daughter and husband have become her strongest champions, countering a lifetime of shame and silence. Their support proves that healing can restore not only inner peace but also connection. “The hardest part of keeping a secret,” she says, “is not having a witness.” Through her book and speaking engagements, she now serves as that witness for others, showing them they are not alone.

Key takeaway: Facing the Jaguar reminds listeners that courage and compassion can coexist with pain. Healing begins when we stop hiding, find our voice, and face the “jaguars” in our own lives—because sharing our truth, in whatever form we choose, can save both ourselves and others.

https://babswalters.com/