on a personal note

Let us not forget that October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

This thought hits close to home for me and is more meaningful than it ever has been in year's past. I have never shared this much publicly about the dark side of my childhood memories but on this particular day I feel like shouting on top of the rooftops, "I'm proud of you, Mom!" She has had to relocate to another state and get 2 jobs to survive but on more than one occasion she has told me that she is finally "living" after all these years. Amazing, huh?

My (biological) mom finalizes her divorce from her asshole of a husband at the end of this month. I can say that because he really is an abusive asshole. They have been married for 20 + years too many.

Erin's PSA: If you know someone that is being abused, help them. Too scared to tell my dad in Oklahoma or even my teachers at school in Florida (where I lived with my mom and the asshole before my dad was granted full custody), I would always run to our neighbor's house for help. They would turn their cheek on what was going on next door after giving me a cookie and a hug. This is not OK. Victims of abuse, whether they be an adult or child, don't always have the means to know how to get help safely. Be their voice.

If police had ever been called to the scene when I was little, I would hope that I would have a lot less dark to share. But don't get confused, I feel truly blessed. I hope to aspire other kids through CASA to not use their past as a crutch but to motivate them to be something different. Have a great week, y'all!