Some of you know that my heart
goes out to victims of domestic violence.
I have volunteered with abused children
and their families
for almost ten years.
I often read articles on the subject.
I have kept a notebook
that I refer to from time to time.
I was thumbing through it this weekend
and saw a poem.
One of the lines grabbed my attention:
" ... Every time she was hit or called a name,
She felt a little bit of herself disappear ... "
I am pleased to report that person
grew past that dark place.
I am so grateful.
I don't want anyone
to be beaten into submission and slowly disappear
... smashed to oblivion ...
pulverized by someone who claimed to love them.
I have seen some victims,
so twisted by what happened to them,
they hold the whole world
accountable
for what they have suffered.
They become permanently disconnected,
even becoming abusers themselves.
Those stories always make me sad.
The most difficult people remind me
that
we can't reach them all.
Some stories are so sad, I almost want to give up ...
wondering,
"What's the use?"
But, just when I am ready to give up,
I find inspiration
in seeing someone grow beyond mere survival
to a place of real thriving ...
It is so amazing to watch a life transform.
Recovery isn't easy.
The path is different for every one who travels it.
It is harder for some than others,
but even baby steps away from abuse
are better than being abused.
NO MATTER WHAT,
being in recovery
with it's ups and downs and fluctuating moods is
WAY BETTER
than being under an abuser's thumb
where it's all downs and every mood is a bad one!
Turning a life around isn't ever easy
but
IT'S YOUR LIFE
that you're saving
and
YOU
ARE SO WORTH IT!
Sometimes, it helps to tell ourselves ...
I am worthy.
I am worthy of my life and all the good that is in it.
I am worthy of a degree of happiness that could only be referred to as "sinful" in less enlightened times.
I am worthy of creativity, sensitivity and appreciation.
I am worthy of peace of mind, peace on earth, peace in the valley, and a piece of the action!
I am worthy of God's presence in my life.
I am worthy of love.
and so are YOU ...
If you or someone you love are being abused,
there is help out there,
but the first step is up to you or the one you love.
It can be as simple as a phone call:
1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
1-800-787-3224 (TTY)
National Domestic Violence Hotline - Break the silence, make the call.
