Domestic Violence Month

There are many causes that we hear about. October is a big month for causes but this is the one that is near and dear to my heart. Domestic Violence is something that I not only have personal experience with but I hear stories almost every day. If you are not aware that Domestic Violence is an issue I can let you know right now that is.
I've done my best to wear the purple ribbon and tell people what I can about Domestic Violence. I've given my personal story twice this month at churches. I've told it before but for some reason this month it had a more profound impact on me.
There was part of me that cared about what others thought about my story. The biggest thing was the fact that Domestic Violence can happen to anyone. I was raised in a very Christian home, my parents did everything to make sure I had a good life. They taught me about Jesus and raised me to care for others. I made bad choices as a young adult, the minute I could get out of my parents house.
My story took time, it wasn't obvious to me right away, perhaps if it was then I would have gotten out sooner. It was little things that happened and slowly before I realized it I was cut off from my family and made to feel like I was worthless. My self esteem suffered and I used food to hide my feelings, which only made the verbal abuse worse. It didn't stop there and I faced every kind of abuse in my marriage before I got the courage to leave.

It's been over 3 years, I thought I could pick up, move on, and enjoy my life. While I do enjoy my life there is a piece of me that has been affected that can't be replaced. There are things in my life that I will never see the same way because of this.
In August I took my kids to the State Capitol and out in front of the building was this placard. A scrolled bench was the place to rest. I noticed the bench because it was beautiful and I sat and read the stone. As I read I realized I was one of them. My life was altered by Domestic Violence. My children's lives were altered by Domestic Violence. This thing, that so altered our lives is often pushed into a corner, ignored, and forgotten. There are many women who suffer in silence because they are afraid. I was one of those, I was afraid of what would happen to my children. It was only once I realized I could no longer protect them that I knew it was time to go.
The only answer to Domestic Violence is awareness and prevention. How do we prevent this? We teach our daughters that they are worth it. They are valued and they are loved. We teach our sons that they are men, that they need to treat everyone with respect with their words and their actions. It starts in the home, when they are young. In order to teach them this they have to see this modeled with their parents. If we don't teach them while they are young, who will?

For more information on Domestic Violence click here