In early 2018, I experienced domestic violence firsthand for the first time. This was life altering, scary, heartbreaking, confusing. And still, I stayed. In late November/early December of 2018, I became pregnant. When I found out I thought of all of the ways I could share this exciting and amazing news with my partner. While visiting my family one weekend (we lived 2 hours away), my husband and I got into an argument. He started hitting me, this was nothing new. But this time he punched my stomach. Out of fear of losing my greatest blessing, I begged him to stop hitting my stomach. I had to be so quiet to not let my family hear the fight, the punches, or me terrifyingly saying “please stop, I’m pregnant “. He stopped. I was in disbelief. Months went by, and he began stealing supplies from work that he could use to get high (he was in the military, he always stole air duster and would huff it). He would become violent again. He would drink constantly…. And then he would hit me, months pregnant. After I had my daughter, things stopped for a while. Until November of 2019. It was time to go to thanksgiving dinner, 2 hours away. He was drinking and didn’t want to follow the timeline we had for the day, so instead in a drunken rage, he threw every. single. thing in his reach… At my daughter and I. My daughter was 3 months old by this time, and I was terrified. But still, he was my husband and the father of my child, so I went back….
Fast forward to 2020. It’s summer. My husband is deployed and my home is peaceful with just my daughter and myself….. until I find out he’s cheating while on his deployment with a fellow soldier. This was my chance. This was my easy out, my safest out.
I got my things together and prepared for this new strain of life altering journey. And boy was it the best thing I’d ever done. He returned early, after threatening his superior while overseas. By this time, I was ready. I broke the news, and I had finally had the upper hand.
My words to you;
You are not alone. You don’t need to stay. They will not change. You will be better off. I am always here to listen, to help where I can, to save anyone from anything I have the power to. BREAK the silence. You are bigger and worth so much more than domestic violence.
