*** Long Post Alert *** Breast Cancer Awareness is very important to me as is Domestic Violence Awareness. October is nationally recognized as Domestic Violence Awareness & Prevention Month; a time to celebrate survivors, honor those who have died, raise awareness, and confirm our commitment to preventing intimate partner violence. This awareness is PERSONAL. It is close to my HEART. It is DAILY. Some know my story, some do not. Here is just a bit of my blog when I first opened up about my abuse - "The first time that it turned to more than just shoving, I had my earring ripped out of my ear, my glasses torn off my face and destroyed and shoved to the ground where he then sat on top of me hitting me in the side of the head and back. He never put a hand on my actual face because then it would be more visable. He did all of this while my daughter and youngest son were home, along with 2 friends of my daughters. He then locked me out of my own apartment. I went crazy screaming because my kids were inside. My neighbors called the police. My daughter eventually unlocked the door after he snuck out the back. He had the nerve to come back after the police left. However they had not left, simply moved to an unseen location. It took 5 officers to get him down and into the vehicle. Now one would think after this I would leave and I did. When all of this is happening you are not sure what you are thinking. I was not thinking clearly. I had a very old friend that I called and remember them saying, "What happened to the girl I used to know, you would never let anyone do that to you". At that time, I had no clue where she went. I eventually went back. My life did not belong to me at that point. It is scary and it is overwhelming. I believed that I was better off like that then alone. He had it embedded in my head that noone would ever love me but him. He had total control over me." #soadv #speakoutagainstdomesticviolence #domesticviolenceawareness #domesticviolencesurvivor #thereislifeafterabuse #speakout #survivor https://www.instagram.com/p/BouOqaVHGkz/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=juuf7y1096z2
