You already know how those commercials set my mind spinning (or if you missed it, here’s yesterday’s post). Because I don’t have lived experience, I’m not qualified to talk with you about domestic violence, but I have an amazing friend who is willing to chat.
Sue Parisher and I met at a She Speaks conference a couple years ago. So excited about the opportunity to introduce you to this strong, incredible woman.
Please don’t miss this. It touches one in FOUR women. Someone you know needs to hear Sue’s story:
It’s 9:30am on a weekend morning and I’m already exhausted. My three children under the age of nine are all awake, fed, changed, teeth brushed and sitting quietly in the living room watching television. I quiver at the thought of them remaining quiet enough as their dad, my abuser, sleeps in the room above.
Concurrently, I’ve silently but diligently cleaned the kitchen, straightened up the down stairs, and paid bills all while hushing the children to keep silent with their every move. I would love to sit and enjoy a few minutes with them but I know taking time away from my responsibilities risks a painful punishment. Sad, cranky, and deflated I continue on with my weekend choirs. It’s hard to imagine that this is how married life is supposed to be but without family or friends, I’ve slid into a world of not knowing how bad my world has become.
The coils of the bed upstairs creak and I immediately stop. The toilet flushes and the bedroom door opens… by now I’ve stopped breathing. I imagine it is 20 steps from the upstairs bedroom to the bottom of the stairs yet each millisecond is lasting an eternity. What will the look on his face tell me?
Did the children wake him up? If so, contingency plan “quiet the kids down” goes into effect. Could it be he’s hungry? This means operation “hurry up and cook him food while hoping the coffee is prepared correctly” goes into effect. The worst: he’s hung over and he needs me to come upstairs immediately to get him feeling better. There are no words to describe this plan.
It’s been 13 years since God provided me with a safe strategy to leave my abuser, yet with the recent stay at home orders, the memories of these painful weekends are being relived in my mind over and over again. While I was being abused, I was able to work outside the house Monday through Friday.
I looked like a tired mother of three young children, but long sleeves always covered the bruises. In theory, no one knew I lived a double life of oppression and brutality. Looking back, my ability to leave the house to go to work, the grocery store, and school events for the children provided me a break from the relentless over watch of my abuser.
But with the current stay at home orders in effect, many victims are not able to get away from their abuser at all. Instead, their world has become 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, relentlessly controlling over watch from their abuser. In a world where many are complaining about the lack of Clorox wipes and toilet paper, there are countless women being bruised and punished for not planning ahead and having ample supply on hand.
According to the National Collation for Domestic Violence, one out of four women will be a victim of severe physical violence by an intimate partner during their life time. This well documented statistic is before the true impact of Covid-19 is known.
Statistics are showing an enormous increase of domestic violence during the coronavirus due to the stay at home orders. With the stay at home orders starting to be lifted around the United States, it’s unpredictable to know how many victims are going to seek help when their abuser’s oversight is lifted. Domestic violence is real and it’s happening all around us behind closed doors. If it’s happening to someone reading this blog, please know you are not the only one.
For anyone needing help immediately, please consider reaching out to:
- The National Domestic Violence Hotline: https://www.thehotline.org/
- Called to Peace Ministries: https://www.calledtopeace.org/
- Domestic Shelters https://www.domesticshelters.org/articles
For anyone who is already distanced from their abuser and is looking for some resources to promote healing, please consider my blog post: www.recoveringfromdomesticviolence.com
Please stay vigilant and safe,
Sue
LTC (R) Sue Parisher served twenty-one honorable years on active duty, living a double life of capability and accomplishment in the service while enduring brutality and abusiveness in her twenty-year oppressive marriage. Her book, Rock Bottom and Faithless: Defeating the Lies of Domestic Abuse with God’s Truth is available on Amazon.
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Hey, it’s Becky, again. Sue wasn’t going to post a link to her book, because she’s awesome and didn’t want to look like she’s in this for a sale, so I’m doing it on her behalf (and no, it’s not an affiliate link). If you know someone who might benefit from reading it, keep in mind–you can send the book directly to them via Amazon.
Here’s the link to Rock Bottom and Faithless.*
*All proceeds from the book go directly to helping survivors secure safe and reliable transporation.
Please remember:
You’re not alone. Not ever. XO
