Are today’s women abused less then Yesterday’s women?

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How much further are we really since the 1960’s bra burning movement…we still make relationship abuse a quiet affair.  My observation is that women are still closed about discussing abuse one-on-one with each other! We start movements to trigger conversations about abuse…but often we single out particular  type of abuse, like child abuse, sexual abuse, and so on…I am waiting for the day when we discuss and do something about all abuse simultaneously and not only in the eyes of the law but in the eyes and hearts of all people; men and women.  We seem to be a bit off when we do bring out the abuse, like for example, “metoo” movement focused on sexual abuse…I suggest we should be rising together against “abuse.”   By rising together I don’t mean rising against men, I mean rising against abusers, one at a time by uplifting women until they are strong enough to “tell” and identify the “abusers” instead of endure, therefore, shelter them.  The best way we can do that is to educate women who are in the shadows of their abusers; enlighten them and support them one at a time so that they feel empowered to call upon their courage until they feel powerful enough to create their own journey. Lets be their cheerleaders.

Abuse is abuse, regardless if it is verbal, sexual, physical, manipulation, deprivation, starvation, degradation, betrayal, alcoholisum…you see, so much can  go on inside an abused woman’s world.

Knowledge and support is power; power can cure one woman at a time, but unless we educate the men, create expectations and hold them to  those expectations nothing will change;  for every one woman that frees herself another woman will enter the abused woman’s world.

There are many wonderful responsible men, lets not throw the baby out with the bath water.

Single mom, make the father of your children responsible and society members help the moms to accomplish this enforcement;  the children are watching, abuse like responsibility is taught by the parents.

Today’s boy and girl is tomorrow’s man and woman.

 

When someone you love is hurting.

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When someone you love is hurting there is no greater feeling of helplessness.  At first you stay silent, while feeling  powerless.   Your worry compels you to give  warnings, advise, sometimes even bail him/her out of the depths of  despair.   You begin to feel desperate.  You see your loved one tied to the railroad tracks, you are watching the train coming his way;  it’s coming, it seems you are the only one who sees the train coming closer and closer, you feel the danger, you cannot do anything except pray that the train engineer sees him and, if the engineer is paying attention he will stop the train.

So goes the story of a loved one.  You pray he sees the danger and stops what is hurting him.  My brother died in the back seat of a police car.  His drugs compelled him to call the police because he saw Gypsies taking his furniture.   The engineer was not paying attention;  his parent’s old fashion pride and secrecy and the policeman’s complacency ran over him (Chapter Three).

The engineer could be you, the parents or strangers.  We must  all pay attention when dealing with loved ones in pain.  Mental deficiencies are not a disciplinary problem.

Secrets hollow the soul.

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Yesterday, I went to the abused and neglected women’s shelter to bring my book as a gift to the women in the shelter.  I thought I would encounter office support staff  at the  women’s shelter, instead, I found myself in the store where the donated items are sold; a place for things.  Of  course, no access to the wounded and afraid women, they must dwell in a secret place where they are protected from the monsters that beat and abuse them, most often as the children are watching.   Instantly, I felt a kinship to the women  even though they were not at that location.  Suddenly my mind recalled the terror  I felt when my mother was beaten (Chapter Three).

I bring forth again, life is short, fast and one way – forward!  Don’t keep your secret if you are abused and beaten! Tell your secret to someone, compassionate people are everywhere.

Are you ready to take on your childhood abuse?

 

I read a Twitter message yesterday that said,  “I’m ready to take on my childhood abuse.”

I empathized immediately! 

I know that proclamation well.  As an adult, I was ready to move forward after my divorce but I felt I was shackled by the events in my childhood.

As you know from reading my book and from my early blogs,  I am an advocate for Erik Erikson’s (1902-1994) 8 Stages of Human Development. Erikson’s stages are like building blocks; each stage consists of a unique developmental task that is a turning point of increased vulnerability and enhanced potential.  The more an individual resolves the crises successfully, the healthier development will be (Hopkins, 2000).  So, if you were in an abusive home or relationship (13-19 years) you most likely did not resolve all of your unique developmental tasks. (Stages 1-5, Infancy-Adolescence, ages 1-19)

Erikson’s theory helped me break down my life’s stages which ultimately, after much soul-searching, enabled me to sort out positive events from the negative.  That was the key for me;  freed me to race forward.   In Chapter Ten of my book, you can get an idea how to start your own unshackling.

I warn you it could be as scary as rescuing your pet from a burning building, but it is as rewarding as saving a loved pet.   In this analogy you are the pet, save yourself.

Life’s journey is short, fast, and one way -forward!

In all things we strive to achieve, we need courage. Perseverance is the art of calling upon our courage every day until we find the landing where we can embark upon our personal journey.   Although we,  humans, have similar basic needs in life like food, shelter, love, kindness, and a need for relationships, in many other ways we are unique.  Drawing from experience, I find the most unique thing about each of us is the path we take to get to our journey and the path we take while on our journey.

Some paths, good or bad, are predetermined for us while we are young; a time when we are obliged to be on our parent’s journey, willingly, because there are no choices when you are a child – adults are in charge of our every path.  Not all parents are skilled at determining which paths are rewarding, it is a struggle.  Some parents hide the struggle better than others.  Sometimes it is a friendly struggle and other times it is a troubling struggle to decide what paths will lead us to a peaceful journey.  No matter what we encountered on our parent’s journey it is obligatory that we constantly call upon our courage to do what is necessary to ensure that we have a fulfilling journey.  There are no do-overs in life, the journey is short, fast,  and one way –forward!

I send you courage, and I would also like to know what gives YOU courage. Please share with me in the comments. Nothing lifts the spirit and feeds the soul like courage, this I know for sure.