Mustering the Strength
My daughter is 11 years old. At what point do I tell her that I was a victim of violence?
When do I share the fact that I was once a broken and abused girl? That I had a boyfriend who punched me, slapped me, kicked me and called me names constantly. I feel it's something she should know.
I want her to learn from my mistakes and know that she never deserves it if someone treats her that way. I want her to have the strength to walk away from a bad situation. I want her to know to know that she, alone, holds that power..
But, in empowering her, I will be telling her that I once was weak. I allowed these things to happen and that makes me someone other than the mother she knows. Her image of me will be forever changed. I will be responsible for making her see that I was once very different. That's not an easy thing to knowingly do.
My daughter depends on me and trusts me. I am certain that she thinks I have always been the strong woman I am today. She has never seen me back down or walk away from a confrontation. I am not meek. I am not quiet. I wish I was then, who I am now. I would have left that controlling situation and the relationship that left my body and my mind bruised and battered.
I am scared to let my daughter hear about my abuse.
But, I'm more scared not to.
This is an original Ohio Moms Blog post.