Photo Credit Sydney Sims
tearing me to shreds. I looked him in the eyes and said, “You will never be enough for me”. I knew this was dangerous, but I had to say it. I was not going to sneak out of the house when he wasn’t home- I wanted him to watch me leave.
I was blessed to have friends who welcomed me into their home when I arrived in Chicago, as my ego would not allow me to ask my sons if their mommy could crash on their couch. What I expected would be short stay with friends while I got my feet back on the ground turned into a six month stay because of the many challenges involved, including a serious bout with pneumonia because my body was worn out, dealing with the trauma, including PTSD, and securing a new source of income. Although I was surrounded by so much love and support from my family and friends, I felt so alone, and there were many very dark days. As horrific as the healing process was, I chose to find the silver lining in my experience and use it, along with my voice, to help others. I posted something about my experience on a Facebook mom’s group and over 200 women responded, which led me to ultimately start my own support group on the North Shore. I learned very quickly there were many more women like me- women who are not candidates for shelters, but need different types of help.
I made the choice to pivot in my career and reached out to Rebecca Darr, the President & CEO at WINGS, www.wingsprogram,com, the largest domestic violence service provider in Illinois, to share my story. Rebecca welcomed me with open arms, and I am now contracted with WINGS as a development consultant where I can use my voice and story to help ALL who need it. I no longer hold the shame and embarrassment because it was never mine to hold.