Searching for the light- Stories from victims of abuse-Michael

Michael

Michael was unsure who to talk to about the abuse. While looking up information on abuse he stumbled on my blog. He shared a bit of his story with me. I receive messages from victims around the world every now and then.

Michael stands out for one reason. He is male. I had to wrap my head around his story. It is not often or at all that a victim is a man. The stats on male victims of abuse are high. It goes under reported due to many feeling that they would be ridiculed by others even law enforcement if it is brought to light.

He met Stephanie during college. It was love at first sight. Both were studying to become attorneys. They were inseparable, shared a love of the same interests. Friends and families on each side figured after the bar that they would be married. Michael and Stephanie had the beginning of a fairy tale life.

Both passed the test and became prominent attorneys specializing in different types of law but supportive of one another. As soon as he could, Michael popped the question of marriage. They married a year later. Everything was perfect!

Michael states that he and Stephanie were perfect and happy. It was too good to be true.

Two months after the wedding Stephanie announced she was pregnant. Michael was ecstatic. Stephanie was not so thrilled. They hadn’t discussed children prior to getting married and Michael didn’t give it a thought until the day Stephanie learned she was pregnant. She began to become distant. She pulled away from family and made comments to Michael that they should have aborted the baby. He became worried she may harm herself or the baby that he confronted her.

She told him it was hormones talking and she was nervous. He let it go. Stephanie continued to act oddly so much that friends and family mentioned it. This was out of character for her.

At a prenatal visit, Michael talked to the doctor privately about the situation. The doctor just advised him that her hormones are high and he shouldn’t be worried in a few brief months things would settle down.

The months leading up to the big day were not without incident. At home, Stephanie would verbally put Michael down. Soon afterwards, she would push him and would throw things at him. She seemed always in a rage. He would rub her feet and her back. He answered her every whim but nothing he could do was ever good enough for her.

The day her water broke Stephanie refused to let him take her to the hospital. She demands to have someone else to take her instead. Michael. At this point, he is beside himself. He feels as though he is losing his mind. He hasn’t told anyone else about what was going on. He hoped that thing would calm down after the birth.

 

The birth went smoothly. Stephanie made it clear that she didn’t want Michael to comfort her. Stephanie’s family attended and her mom remarked that perhaps she was in discomfort not to worry.

They had a baby boy! There were tears of joy all around. Stephanie gave Michael a squeeze on his hand and pulled him down to kiss her. This gave him a positive outlook for the future.

Once at home Michael doted on his wife and son. He was a proud papa and was able to have a family leave of absence for up six weeks. This was to be a time for all of them to bond.

Sadly, Stephanie diagnosed with Post-partum Depression. She became more distant; she believed Michael loved the baby more then her. Stephanie refused to have anything to do with the baby. She also started to push Michael around again. Name calling soon followed.

He recalls that it was getting so bad that he was thinking of leaving her and taking the baby with him. Her erratic behavior was becoming so extreme that he worked from home often and family had to intercede.

Michael had called around to shelters in his area to see if he could be a guest until he figured things out. He was turned away and was told to reach out to a local YMCA to see if they could help. It was suggested that he should file a police report if he felt they were in danger. The woman at the shelter advised that he was experiencing abuse but she was sorry they could not help. They could serve women only.

Since she was diagnosed with Post-partum, he felt perhaps there was some sort of medication she could turn to or counseling. In the past, Stephanie had blown off suggestions to let the doctor know of her mental health.

Michael made the decision to call the police for information but he was not taken seriously by local law enforcement. He felt as if he was grasping at straws and unsure what to do next is when he reached out to me.

We discussed options of counseling and Michael felt that it was a hopeless cause to do so. His felt that his only option was for them to separate or divorce. Another thought he had was to stay married and to try to keep himself and the baby safe.

He promised to keep in touch but like so many others, I never heard from him again. I pray they are out of harms way living safely.

It can be a bit frustrating to want to help or hear what is going on once a person reaches out to me. Many times, we exchange a handful of message or calls and then nothing. I keep these people in prayer and hope they are okay.

*I am not an Attorney or Counselor, please seek out a licensed individual for more information and help. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination, given with permission, or used in a fictitious manner. And any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental .*

Feel free to comment below and I urge you to share this story or any posts you have found helpful on my blog. If you need help please don't hesitate to message me privately, follow my pages on social media or if you are local let's connect and grab a cuppa coffee or tea or just to talk.

I can be reached at blessmeplz@gmail.com
https://facebook.com/hopewhentherewasnone
www.instagram.com/melindakunst

Have I told you lately that I love you and think your awesome? Well, I do!

BIG HUGS,
Mel

Searching for the light- Stories from victims of abuse- Amy

Amy

Amy is an adorable pixie-like lady approached me after seeing our group in Psychology class reenact a bit of my story of domestic violence.

She comforted me that I made a good decision about leaving. Quietly she whispered that many years ago she too had suffered by the hands of her then-boyfriend, Martin.

Their relationship began well enough. Amy explained that she had a string of relationships that seemed to go nowhere those past partners had no job or was into the drug culture. She didn’t want to be lonely so whatever person came her way was fine to her. It beat being alone.

Martin was a little different. He had previously been in a serious relationship but he said his ex-was psycho complaining that she never let him see his kid and just kept taking his money weekly.

She never felt any type of hostility. He gave her flowers, took her out, had a good job as a construction worker, and seemed like a good guy. After a month, she felt good enough to let him meet her family. Amy thought the visit was going well and pulled her Mom aside to ask what she thought. Her Mom and sisters confided that something was off about him. They weren’t certain what it was but it was unsettling.

Amy felt hurt. She thought this time would be different and wanted to share her excitement with the ones close to her. The rest of the visit was strained. Martin had appeared uncomfortable the entire time. They bid goodnight and left.

In the car, Martin was perturbed about the incident and said they won’t do that again. She agreed that the visit was different but softened that next time they would visit with just her parents. Martin brought the car to a halt telling her there was to be no further contact with “those people”.

Confused she asked what he meant. He yelled obscenities at her and roughly pushed her door open. Unbuckling her from the seat, he shoved her out while yelling to walk home.

This was the beginning of many such situations. He had attacked her on more than one occasion. She said he promised he wouldn’t do it again but after he would drink, they would argue. One thing would lead to another and he would violently assault her physically or sexually.

Each time the situation worsened. She was unsure if she would make it through another beating. Amy shared that she had since left this situation and felt that she needed to share her story with me. She describes how alone and isolated she felt during this time. Though time has passed, the emotional wounds are sore.

She went on to say that, Martin had come home one evening after hanging out with friends at a bar until late after she had gone to bed hours before. As the relationship went on, she learned he was a functioning alcoholic.

Hearing him shuffle in the door, she curled into a protective ball and awaited him coming to bed. She remembers he stank like stale cigarettes and beer. The smell was so strong that it nauseated her. She held her breath as he came into the room out of fear.

He grumbled under his breath and finally sank down beside her. She hoped he would just pass out.
Out of nowhere, he was on top of her. She thrashed and said to get off but he didn’t. He kept mumbling for her to shush and let him have what is his.

Scrambling from out under him, she managed to force him off of her and sprinted out of the bedroom. He caught her in the hall, grabbing her foot, causing Amy to fall into a side table.

She says the rest is fuzzy. She later learned he had sexually assaulted her while she was unconscious. This is a good thing because he then proceeds to drag Amy out of the house by her feet. She wakes up briefly notices a cool breeze and sees the night sky suddenly the feeling of intense pain throughout her body! She sees him wielding a tire iron. He is hitting her repeatedly.

Amy loses consciousness and awakens to the sound of sirens and flashing lights. She doesn’t know the person she sees kneeling over her. He is talking to her can't understand him because her ears are ringing loudly. Her mouth feels funny. Her head hurts. She tries to get up but she feels hands on her weighing her down. This panics her and she fights with all her might but a shot of pain sends her back into deep slumber.

The next time she wakes up, she finds herself in the hospital. She can only see through one eye. She reaches up to find the other bandaged. One arm is in a cast, her body hurts, and there are tubes, wires, bandages, and another cast on her right leg.

A nurse walked in and excitedly begins to fill Amy in the blank spaces from the day prior to the assault, a neighbor heard a woman screaming. After looking out the window, the neighbor sees Amy on the ground trying to protect her from Martin who is raining blows on her with that tire iron. The neighbor saw Amy trying to crawl away but Martin kept grabbing her legs to pull her back.

What the neighbor didn’t see was Martin twisting her leg so hard that something snapped at the knee. She didn’t see Martin kicking Amy in the head with such force that she would have issues with her right eye in the future.

This kind soul was on the phone with the police the moment she heard the scream that is forever be imprinted on her mind.

It had been over 10 years since that vicious beating, she underwent physical therapy and has had many other health issues related to past event. The police visited Amy in the hospital a day the event to advise her that Martin was picked up on the scene. He claimed he didn’t know what happened and that he blacked out not remembering any of the brutal acts. Martin sentenced to five years in jail but gets out after two for good behavior.

Amy moved away, changed her phone number, her looks, and has a new vehicle.

She adds that she has trust issues and even though time has passed since that night, she much happier alone. Amy sees a counselor, went back to school, and is now an advocate for victims of abuse. Amy also reconciled with her family and they are closer than before.

Part of healing for her was to thank the neighbor for saving her life and to reach out to Martin’s ex-wife, Lisa. Amy found out that Lisa was not this horrible person Martin described her as but rather Lisa was abused by Martin as well!

The courts had granted Lisa sole custody of their child and Martin hadn’t been paying any child support. Martin spent a few days in jail for assaulting Lisa but the charges were dropped for some unknown reason. She hadn’t seen or heard from him in years. She isn’t sure if he is alive.

Both Amy and Lisa endured something horrifying that bound them together in friendship. Neither woman never saw Martin again. Amy adds that she still has bad dreams and worries if he is doing this to another woman.

*I am not an Attorney or Counselor, please seek out a licensed individual for more information and help. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination, given with permission, or used in a fictitious manner. And any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental .*

Feel free to comment below and I urge you to share this story or any posts you have found helpful on my blog. If you need help please don't hesitate to message me privately, follow my pages on social media or if you are local let's connect and grab a cuppa coffee or tea or just to talk.

I can be reached at blessmeplz@gmail.com

https://facebook.com/hopewhentherewasnone

www.instagram.com/melindakunst

BIG HUGS,

Mel

Searching for the light- Stories from victims of abuse- Clarissa

Clarissa

I first met this beautiful warrior socially. We had children close in age. She is a bit older than I, married to a man that was very involved in the church. She was wise, sagey, and led a very public and influential life.

From the outside, looking in they had it all. The big house, clothes, gadgets, whatnot’s, vacations, cars, Brad Sr., her husband had a terrific job, and money was no object. For years, I envied and loved the life she and her family led. Oh, I know it’s not good to covet but they had what I had wanted during a dark period. They had it all.

Years later that she confessed that the life they were, living was a lie. Her husband was abusing the children physically. He was especially harsh on his eldest son, Brad Jr. She had no idea why.

Her son had become distant and finally opened up to her about the physical abuse.

Confronting Brad Sr. about the situation, he promised he wouldn’t do it again. He explained to her that he was under pressure at work and took it out on Brad Jr. Not wanting to make excuses for this behavior, he offered to try harder, to walk away if he was having a difficult time controlling his temper. His final promise was that there were isolated incidents.

Over the course of the following weeks, he indeed held to his promise. Clarissa was thrilled to have healing for the relationship between father and son.

A month later, she found she had grabbed her husband’s phone instead of her own.

No big deal right?

She climbed in her van to rush to an appointment she was running late. The phone buzzed. A text message came on the screen. It was from a teen girl they knew from church. Not thinking anything of it, she opened the message. To her anger and sadness, it contained suggestive comments for her husband!

She was still reeling from the news between her Son and husband now this?! Slamming on the brakes she couldn’t think straight so she high tailed it home. Further searching on his phone and home computer showed inappropriate photos with this young lady. There were also pornography sites in his viewing history.

Feeling repulsed Clarissa was trying to figure out whom this man that she was married to for over twenty years was. She felt that she didn’t even know him anymore.

She thought about it he had been acting strangely for several months. Out of the blue Brad Sr. would be angry for no reason at all, staying at church or going off on church business at weird hours. He stopped kissing and touching her. When they did have intimate moments, he would make vicious comments about her body. These things were previously so out of character for him.

She felt as though the world was ending. Sure, they had issues off and on but nothing to this magnitude had prepared her for what was coming next. Clarissa shared that she didn’t leave her husband. She felt confident enough they could get through this with counseling from church and a therapist.

In a short time following the turn of events, she realized how much damage had happened prior to all of this coming to light. The amount of verbal and mental abuse she and the children had been experiencing had been high.

Through counseling, she learned the signs of abuse and Brad Sr. found coping skills to help him deal with high stress. Clarissa now had tools to use to boost her self-esteem that had taken a beating. They began to have date nights. They listened to one another when times were tough and how to communicate again.

At this time, they are still married. It hasn’t been easy. Clarissa still had lingering trust issues of course but they moved past this event to grow and found love for one another that was lost.

*I am not an Attorney or Counselor, please seek out a licensed individual for more information and help. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination, given with permission, or used in a fictitious manner. And any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental .

Feel free to comment below and I urge you to share this story or any posts you have found helpful on my blog. If you need help please don't hesitate to message me privately, follow my pages on social media or if you are local let's connect and grab a cuppa coffee or tea or just to talk.*

I can be reached at blessmeplz@gmail.com

https://facebook.com/hopewhentherewasnone

www.instagram.com/melindakunst

Stay safe!

BIG HUGS,

Mel

 

 

 

 

Searching for the light- Stories from victims of abuse- Jeanette

Jeanette

The outside air was hot and thick as the summer sun began to set turning the sky a brilliant shade of blue and pink. With no breeze to cool her off her clothes clung to her as the sweat dripped from her body as she walked down the desolate road towards anywhere. Her feet were raw. She winced as she walked on.

She tried to keep a quick pace to try to avoid detection. Wandering off the gravel would only make her journey longer.

She wondered how she got to this point. How did she lose herself and become this timid mouse afraid of every sound, loud noise, and bump in the night?

Without warning, she heard the squeal of tires behind her. The car came rushing towards her suddenly.

She panicked and began to run. A blast of a horn caused her to go headlong onto the gravel. As if time stood still the car rolled foot by her side where she lay bruised and bleeding on the ground.

The door opened a pair of scruffy work boots slowly came out of the door. She could hear a long sigh coming from him. She stifled a cry. The pain of her new injuries suddenly dulled as the man stood looking down at her.

She couldn’t look at him.

Only hours, before they fought over why the checkbook didn’t balance to the penny she was under by a few dollars after pouring over the receipts and figures, he had pulled her by her hair throwing her out the back door, yelling obscenities, and threatening to bash her face in. He told her not to come back and slammed the door.

She had no shoes on.

She had no money.

She had no keys.

She had no phone.

She had on I.D.

She had nothing.

It didn’t take him long to come looking for her nor to find her. When she started to walk, she wove her way through fields and streets figuring he wouldn’t find her. Not that she had a plan in mind. She knew she needed to go away and not caring where she ended up. She was a shell of what she was.

Now here she is on the ground feeling weak, frightened, and nervous. She felt like she was going to throw up.

He nudged her side and told her to get in the car. He climbed back the driver’s seat and gunned the engine. Not wanting to hesitate she jumped to her feet and raced around the passenger side. She opened the door only to have him start moving the car as she scrambled in.

He laughed tearing down the road. He reached over and gently caressed her hair saying he was sorry. He wasn’t sure what had gotten into him. Could she forgive him?

The above story isn’t my own. I just listen to the stories that are shared with me since I began sharing my own story of abuse. Jeanette's story is a similar memory of my own life. Sharing my difficulties allowed other brave victims and Survivors to share personal triumphs and tragedies. It gets hard to shake the stories from those I meet.

Over the next few days, you will find stories of hope, endurance, and strength. Fair warning some of the outcomes from these beautiful souls may not end as you thought or there is no final ending as of this moment.

I give no judgment of the decisions made. Each person follows a path that feels right for him or her. Remember the old saying, “You can not understand someone until you walk a mile in their shoes.”

*I am not an Attorney or Counselor, please seek out a licensed individual for more information and help. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination, given with permission, or used in a fictitious manner. And any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental .*

Feel free to comment below and I urge you to share this story or any posts you have found helpful on my blog. If you need help please don't hesitate to message me privately, follow my pages on social media or if you are local let's connect and grab a cuppa coffee or tea or just to talk.

I can be reached at blessmeplz@gmail.com

https://facebook.com/hopewhentherewasnone

www.instagram.com/melindakunst

Stay safe!

BIG HUGS,

Mel

Looking back about leaving my abuser

10 years ago I was working in the antique shop that I ran with my then husband- Will. I loved being around the vendors, the antiques, and the customers! It was an amazing experience that had its up's and downs. I have always felt that working for someone else is just not for me, so this was a blessing.

People made comments about Will. He was seen as a bully, rude, and that he never left me alone. Some saw him as cunning, smart, and giving. 

I hated the end of the day. The end of the day signaled the time when I had to go home to be with him. Will had a job in construction so his moments with me at the shop were thankfully limited. The glimmering patch in that madness was my children being there.

At this time I was teetering back and forth about leaving him for the third time. We have been in this continuous cycle of me saying, "Let me go" and he would react with, "Oh no you won't!". There were threats of harm, threats of violence, threats of everything you can imagine just so I wouldn't leave. 

While leaving was scary to me. I would be without money, a home, and health insurance. That was terrifying! Even more so than staying, though I knew in my heart that things were coming to a head. If I stayed longer I would not live to see the end of the following year. 

After leaving those worries didn't go away. There was still danger after leaving him. It didn't make sense to me. I felt that leaving would make the crazy go away but it seemed to escalate, but not being in that situation allowed me to become stronger. It allowed me to open my heart to love someone again, where I told myself I would never let anyone in again. 

Fast forward to the present, I am a different person at that time. The person I am now is continually growing, learning, and healing. It has taken time to work through all of these. 

If you have just left your abuser please know you did the right thing! You will survive without him and he will go on without you. Working on yourself right now for your best. It is hard. There will be days where you will feel that it is just easier to go back. Staying out of this relationship is for your best. You can do this!


If you need to talk message me privately I'm happy to talk to you. 

Whatever your journey, I hope you stay safe. Have I told you lately that I love you?

BIG HUGS,
Mel

My knees were shaking and my voice shook!

I admit that I was super nervous as I spoke at the St. Jude House Candlelight Vigil recently. I said a prayer before going on but I was still terribly nervous. My inner chatter was going crazy. Before we arrived I almost told Mr. Awesome that I changed my mind. 

I was letting fear creep into my head. Sometimes we are our own worst enemy. I gave a presentation last night and the same voice came into my mind. Telling me that I was stupid. That people would laugh and that I should just leave. 

I punched fear in the face last night. I know in my heart this isn't about my ego or about me. It's about a calling that God placed in my heart to help reach out to others by sharing my story. 

God has put so many AMAZING people and events in my path in such a short period of time. I have been overwhelmed with thankfulness and gratitude. Sharing has been able to help heal me further and to kick that nasty voice in my head. 

My family and friends have been so supportive and loving. I find victims and survivors from all the corners of the earth. The thing is, there are so many similarities in our stories that it is eerie and sad. 

I hope to continue with my book tour and sharing this year and hope to keep going for the future. Plans for a healing sanctuary in the near future are in the works. Whether this would be a not-for-profit or a foundation type of thing is what I am

thinking. Though I admit to being in the dark about planning this. 

Can I also confess that this journey isn't anything that I thought it would be. It is so much more! I thank God every day for His grace and helping me through dark times in my life when all I wanted to do was give up. He didn't give up on me or let me to just throw in the towel. 

In other news, I did make it to the Gypsy Soul Retreats and presented "Vision Boards" to a fabulous group of Women. It was something I crossed off my Bucket List and I was pretty darned proud of myself for going! 

I have been trying to create more videos to add to our YouTube channel. A recent video that was supposed to be serious was a bit loud in the background... Well, you can view it on here! 

I mention on my other blog about how surreal my life is. And I know I have said it over and over, but it is! My worries at this point in my life (besides the usual bills and money is), "Do I grow my hair out because it's bugging me now?" Isn't that awesome!? Seriously, it seems dumb but that is my concern. I am loving this life of mine. :) 

There are little happenings that went on around the farm, please check them out here- My obsession: Glitter, Antiques and Homesteading

So, Dear One, whatever your journey, please know you are not alone! You are loved. You are amazing! You are worthy of joy and happiness. If you need to talk please message me privately. 

If I hadn't told you lately... I love you too!

BIG HUGS,

Mel 

P.S.- Have you heard about this campaign? 💜 Painting your ring finger #purple to show the world your vow to help spread #awareness about #domesticviolence 😍. You are also showing support for #safehorizon which says it is the country's largest organization that helps victims. Whether you are wearing purple ribbons, coloring your hair purple or #putthenailinit #speakup against #abuse 💜. Sharing your story may help change the course of lives!

P.P.S.- Have you had a chance to pick up a copy of my books? Find them here- Call me Master and Rising from the Ashes. Don't forget to look at my facebook page- Hope when there was none. 

If you know of a church or group that would like to have me speak at please drop me a message to blessmeplz@gmail.com.

**UPDATE**

Mr. Awesome and I headed out Friday. I met with a cool Lady about speaking to her group in November at Suzie's Cafe in Valpo. One of the waitresses there had amazing hair! That afternoon, guess who ended the debate on her haircut? YEP! This Lady!

My abuser saved my wisdom teeth and a lock of my hair!

I had been thinking about this for some time. It's one of those nagging things that I have been putting off sharing. The funny thing is that it's not "me" that needs to feel weird about this. 

I chatted today about this and mentioned I meant to share but I hadn't. She encouraged me to share after saying, "EW! Seriously?! He did that?!" I had to laugh about it. Now I can. Back then it seemed too dark to comprehend and share.

I had my wisdom teeth pulled in order to have my teeth fixed. My teeth are crooked. It's one of those things I didn't think much about, but Will did. He would tell me to stop smiling because it annoyed him that I didn't get my teeth fixed. He would stare at my teeth and after a while I stopped smiling around him and others. I became so dang self-conscious about it. 

Eventually, I agreed with him and made the decision to get braces.

So, they got pulled. The dentist gave them to me to share with the kids. I showed everyone when they got back from school and they wanted to share with Will when he arrived home from work. After that, I didn't see the teeth anymore. They disappeared. I just figured they ended up in the kid's toy box or in the garbage can.

I had hair down the middle of my back but it made no sense to keep it while I was operating my then, lawn care business. It kept getting in my way, the ponytail was causing more headaches, it was heavy, and at the end of the day of mowing very grassy. So, much to Will's objection, I cut it off. I had a bit of a pixie cut, much like I sport today. I brought home the ponytail to show Will and the kids and didn't see it again until years later.
In 2009, I made the final decision to leave and was cleaning out drawers for our escape. I found my wisdom teeth and my hair in a ziplock bag in his drawer! Why was I even in his drawer? At this point it was crunch time, I was in every drawer to look for loose change, hidden paperwork, and other personal stuff. 

I got the willies when I found them and the pit of my stomach churned uncomfortably. I also found the videotape we made and he threatened to share publicly if I ever decided to leave. I won't tell you what was on that but it wasn't pretty.  

I threw out the teeth and hair. The video was destroyed. And Will was not happy when he figured it out. The thing was that it was almost a day or two later when he left an angry voicemail that I took "his" property. I sent him a message that they weren't "his" they were mine and that he was creepy to want those back. 

He argued that he wanted them back since he couldn't have me. He could at least open the bag and smell the hair. He asked if I smelled the bag. He said it still smelled like my shampoo. 

Don't tell me that doesn't creep you out a bit. It still gives me the willies even 9 years later. The dark obsession and fascination he had with me was unnatural don't you think?

I'm so happy I got rid of everything especially after he later sought out voodoo to help aid him to have me return and for a hex. Sound strange? I was in contact with the Priestess that he had contacted for help. Quite by accident. Will shared a post on breaking up and reconciliation with myself and many on his email list. I grew bold and messaged everyone on that list with my story. 

The Priestess returned a message and advised she wouldn't be taking part in anything dark like that. She offered to pray and thanked me for sharing this information. She went on to say that Will paid her money for a few spells and one was a hex. 

My story is and isn't like others. I'm breaking open many more past events to educate and bring light into the darkness of abuse. Much of my past seems like someone created it from a book or TV show. It's real life and happened to us. 

I can laugh at some of this now. I needed that. To look back on some of the madness and find humor in some of the memories. 

Many years later after I finally left Will it was Terry(a.k.a. Mr. Awesome) that told me that my smile can light up a room, I wasn't sure how to take that. I was torn to feel all squishy inside and wondering if he was making fun of me. 

In other news, the girls are emancipated! Will filed paperwork last week! I don't know who is more excited! It is closure. FINALLY!

So, Dear One, stay safe,

BIG HUGS! 

Mel 

P.S.- Have you had read my book, "Call me Master" or "Rising from the Ashes"?  May I trouble you to leave a review if you hadn't already done so. I would greatly appreciate it! This helps in the ranking so my book can be seen by more. Thank you!

P.P.S.- Here is where I will be next! I hope you can make these appearances. I would love to meet you! :) 
(Gypsy Soul Retreat is SOLD OUT)