October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. This is a repost of my story from 2014. I was married for ten years, from 1971 until 1981 to an abuser. I was abused before the marriage. I was stalked and tormented after I left. In 2002 I entered my second marriage. It is a healthy and fulfilling relationship. Love means treating one another with respect and care. Love does not include humiliating, insulting, degrading, striking, punching, kicking, controlling, choking, or threatening. If you are in an abusive relationship, there are organizations that will assist you. If you need help and are afraid to contact an organization, feel free to contact me. You deserve to be treated with consideration.
It was 7:00 AM and my husband was up and getting ready for work; time to get my daughter up and make breakfast. I pulled on my thick robe in spite of the warm morning, making certain I was properly covered before going into my daughter’s bedroom. The blinds were closed against prying eyes, but I could tell it was going to be a sunny day by the glimpses of golden light that managed to sneak around the edges of the blinds.
I quickly changed my daughter’s diaper and carried her to her high chair in the dining area of our apartment. Taking a bowl and cereal from the cabinet, I poured a double serving of the pre-sweetened cereal into the bowl and set it on the table with a container of milk, a spoon, and sugar. Then I prepared my daughter’s oatmeal and fruit.
My husband sat down at…
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Between the Beats 