Another Woman Died Last Night
It breaks my heart to write this, but another woman died last night. I didn’t know her but that doesn’t ease the pain I feel regarding her death.
The details are unknown to me; only that it was due to domestic violence. It popped up in my Facebook timeline as a request for prayer, solicited from a family member of the young lady. They posted a lovely photo of her. I mean, she looked like me, a middle aged woman, beautiful and full of life. I couldn’t help but think, that could easily have been me, before I removed myself from what had been, a toxic situation.
You see, none of us know the moment when an angry spouse will snap. Don’t ignore the warning signs. It often starts with subtle disrespect. Then it progresses to more aggressive language, then a threat to harm you or themselves as a means of control. If it is not cut off there, it usually progresses to throwing objects in the home or punching holes in the walls, and then eventually the wall is replaced with you, and now it is full blown physical abuse.
My plea to every one of my beautiful sister’s out there, DON’T WAIT FOR HIM TO KILL YOU!!! If your relationship is, even in the least bit, looking like it's headed down this road, seek help now. Don’t wait to see if it will get any better. I can guarantee, if you have been hit once, you will be hit again.
Once certain boundaries have been violated it is hard to put someone back behind that line. It’s like watching a riot, once the crowd has pushed past the barriers, you either have to establish a new barrier or deal with the crowd that is forcefully headed your way. The outcome will not be favorable because there were no punitive consequences when they pushed past the last one.
If you need immediate help please contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799 SAFE (7233). For suggestions on how you can begin to prepare an exit strategy, please visit www.ineedtoleave.com for a free audio download of steps you can take to safely exit your relationship. Always remember, safety first. Sending Love, Prayer, Peace and Blessings your way.
