I have a new friend and I met her on Twitter. She doesn’t seem like a new friend because I feel like I have known her forever. When I met her on Twitter, the first things I noticed were her eyes. Even though I had only seen her in pictures, it is was easy to discern the fact that she was a loving and caring person. I say this because her eyes mirrored the love generosity that was obviously deep within her being.
Her messages were profound and yet simple and thought provoking. I was sure of the fact that this beautiful young woman had been through a lot in her life. I could tell that she had a strong foundation comprised of faith, courage and the desire to serve. She was on a mission to help others by encouraging them and empowering them. What is the new saying? I believe it is that, “She rocks!” In my opinion, that is a huge understatement. Anyway, at some point, we connected via the telephone and her sweet young voice exuded what her eyes reflected in her pictures. It was during that conversation, that we sort of adopted each other. We seemed to be soul mates!
Well, I called her several times last week end and she didn’t answer or return my calls. I felt sick. I knew something was wrong and I prayed that it wasn’t what I suspected. Today, I received a message from her that said, “Read this.” I checked the URL and what I read and the pictures that I saw confirmed my suspicions and my instincts that something was very wrong with her boyfriend and their relationship. I had seen pictures of him and his eyes did not mirror goodness. I didn’t see love or honor in his eyes. My opinion was that his eyes reflected the fact that he was troubled and filled with contempt for what or for whom, I didn’t know. I just hoped that I was wrong. After all, who was I to criticize or judge a man that I had never met face to face?
Ladies, this is an example of what happens too often when friends of a victim of abuse have suspicions. They say nothing. They don’t want to upset the friend that might be the victim of abuse. They don’t think it is their place to interfere. They hope they are wrong. They pray that they are wrong. Maybe in some rare instances they are mistaken but most of the time they aren’t.
These friends, at some point realize that they didn’t act like friends because they didn’t take the chance and speak out. They didn’t offer shelter to their friend who was living through the troubled storm in the sea of abuse. Sometimes they realize their mistake as they watch their friend being taken away in an ambulance or even worse. In my case, it was when I read what was on this URL http://tinyurl.com/capk92
Dawn, from the bottom of my heart, I am sorry. Sure, I have the excuse that I never met him face to face. Sure, I might have alienated you by voicing my concerns about the man that you loved so much but I might have also helped to save you from the abuse that he inflicted on you. Maybe, just maybe…
To those of you who know victims of abuse please don’t make the same mistake that I made. If you love someone, at least make the attempt to voice your concerns because maybe, just maybe…
