“Travel gave me back what one man almost completely destroyed – my confidence, and my heart.”
I Left My Abusive Partner And Traveled The World With My Baby—Here’s My Story
‘How can you love this man when he continues to hurt you?’ Little did l know, she was texting all of this to my husband and kindling a secret relationship.’: Woman discovers abusive husband’s affair with best friend
“My best friend pulled into the driveway of my home as I was packing. I started bawling my eyes out, sharing my pain. The door slammed wide open. She had been kindling a relationship with my husband behind my back and sharing all of my personal details and events with him. He threw me out of our house in my panties. I sat there, cold, alone, and numb.”
‘The phone rang at 5 a.m. ‘You need to come to the hospital. Your father is not doing well.’ My father? In the hospital? No way. He was a healthy, happy man. How could he be that sick?’
“14 years later, devastation struck once again. I lost my 19-year-old son in a tragic, earth-shattering suicide. The only comfort I have, is that my father was there to welcome him home. He was not easily influenced by peer pressure. Or, so we thought.”
‘I was taken from school to my last foster home. I didn’t get to say goodbye to anyone. I didn’t know I would NEVER go home again. My parents had run out of chances.’
“I remember the car. The social workers wore suits, and the car was dark blue. I sat in the back. The child lock was on, and I felt trapped. When we arrived at the foster home, it was a place I had been in with my sister, but I still didn’t understand. This time, it was only me.”
‘His head was in his hands. ‘I ruined everything! Call the daycare. Tell them we can’t send the kids anymore.’ I used to hide in the bathroom to cry.’: Couple supports each other through job loss, ‘This too, shall pass’
“We had another baby, we were happy. Things were great, until they weren’t. I’ll never forget the day when I called in sick because of a bad migraine. An hour after my husband left for work, he called to tell me the bad news. He’d lost his job. He was crying, I could barely understand what he was saying.”
‘I just got fired. You should leave me,’ my husband’s text said. Something was very off. Strange things like him disappearing at odd times, catching him in lies, his increased anger.’
“He’d opened a private bank account where he had been hiding his lifestyle. I found countless large charges to the local casino. Angry emails. Work phone calls he had ignored. I discovered he was regularly viewing porn. I was livid. Heartbroken.”
‘No, mommy. You obey ME!’ My son was LOSING. HIS. MIND. Tears were flowing, arms flailing. He threw his sandwich on the ground in protest. All I could think was, ‘I’m failing.’
“Mom shamers lined up with judgemental eyes. The grocery line was never-ending. My friend and her sweet, well-behaved daughter began quietly cleaning up their lunch. ‘If you do it this way, they wouldn’t be acting like that.’ Within five minutes, I raised my white flag.”
‘Ladies, don’t settle. Wait. Trust. There is a man who will make you feel safe. Who will calm your fears. Who will make you feel beautiful daily. Who will fight for you.’
“Wait. Do not ever settle for less. And please – Don’t ever think you will change the heart of a man that is not these things. You can’t. You won’t.”
‘My daughter started bawling and wouldn’t let go of me. ‘All you do is sleep!’ My friends would say, ‘You’re a single mom. It’s normal to be tired.’ I knew something was wrong.’
‘It was happening at home, at work, at the grocery store. When I got home, I would give my daughter a snack and immediately go to sleep. Every time I got up to use the restroom, my heart rate would shoot up. I started teaching my 8-year-old how to call 911 if I couldn’t make it to the phone.”
‘I choked back tears when Travon told me, ‘You’re my big sister now!’ My earth shattered.’: Family adopts 3 brothers from foster care, now family of 8
“We got a call for three boys – ages 1, 3, and 4. They were brothers, and had been separated. ‘I’m glad you are not mean and never get mad. I was scared of foster parents, but not you. You never scream or cuss,’ the oldest said as my mom tucked him in. In their eyes, they were already a part of our family.”