A time to move on…
In 1991 I came home to Minnesota battered and broken from my first marriage. I carried with me my son, my life, and a ruined dream.
We look now 20 years later, married again to my first love, our son is grown, engaged, and building a home for himself and his love.
I have had an amazing life so far, with the help of friends and family, with the support of amazing women and men, with the understanding of those around me.
But I came to a decision at the end of November this year, with almost 20 years of advocating and activating for the rights of domestic assault/violence victims I have decided to pass the torch on to someone else. I have forgiven/passed on/and rubbed out all done against me. It is also time for me to close these doors and open new ones that don’t place angst upon my husband.
Some months ago I received a call from police officer, a body was in a morgue and a card in her pocketbook had my name on it if anything happened to her. It was early in the morning; I received a car ride down to identify her. When I saw her face I stood there silent, I stood there shocked, I stood there disbelieving. The last time I saw her face was 20 years ago, she and I were at the same shelter going through the same terror. She and I went through the same counseling, the same guidance, the same love and hope. Yet here I stood over her. Identifying her and some months later would receive her ashes in the mail because no one claimed her.
I will still do my part, but I am done telling my story, I am done being the advanced party, I am done fighting the awareness of it all. It is time to move on and have someone else tell their story, someone else fight the fight. I am too tired, too trodden, too angry, to fight anymore.
So please, stop the awareness of domestic violence and start the STOP DOMESTIC VIOLENCE…. We are already aware, it needs to stop, now.
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