Recently people have reached out to me, telling me I have helped them get though some of their troubles. I never thought what happened to me would ever help other people. I never thought what happened to me would have been so public, but it is, and I have had to learn to embrace it. I am here hoping that you will stand with me to protect your daughters, your sons, your grandchildren, another family member, or a friend. Please know that you can make a difference.
I am here today hoping that you will stand with me and stand up to something that is so close to my heart-- and that is domestic violence. Domestic violence is something that is all around us, and we may never know that it could be happening to someone close to us. For some women and men (yes, I am standing up for both because men and women suffer from this) it’s about the victim, not the sex of the person. While it is often about being physical hurt, it may also be about being emotionally damaged. The emotional damage is something I know all too well. As a 23 year old woman I can’t tell you how many times I told myself that I would never be a victim of any type of domestic violence or emotional damage. Being told I was not good enough to be with someone, or being told I was not worth marrying, or even being told I was not worth being asked to marry caused so much pain and self-doubt. It took me one year to leave a situation where I was being treated like I was worthless. I held all these deprecating feelings inside for so long that even after I left, I was still struggling. Not until a few weeks ago when I was in Charlotte with my best friends, trying on clothes, that I broke down because for the first time I realized I thought I was not worth a better life because I had been told that for a very long time.
For some women, they never make it out of the relationship, for others they leave the situation, but still struggle. For me, it took an order of protection, being bullied to drop the order, being called a liar, told I was not worth of protection by the law, and finally deciding to leave the state to make this vicious cycle end. Fortunately, a judge and the police saw it differently. They saw the struggle and anguish I endured, and they protected me. Not everyone is this lucky, but I hope you can stand with me, and I hope you can make sure the ones you love are safe because behind closed doors it can be a very scary place. Stand up to domestic violence, make a difference, and keep fighting.
If you are a victim of domestic violence and feel like you can’t leave a situation, there are people to help you reach out. You are never alone--a family member, a friend, a local shelter can help. I promise you that you are worth it. You will always be worth it. Your life is worth it.
Remember you can always call The Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233
Much Love,
Molly Francis.