Turning left out of my neighborhood without a light is sometimes impossible. So some mornings I am smart and I go the other way. The other way is a bit more distance, but it comes up to a light with an arrow. And of course that makes the morning much more pleasant. Except for one part.
I pass her. She is sitting in her vehicle. Insanely early for where she is supposed to be. She is hiding. From her husband. I saw her once with a black eye. She swore that she was getting help. She never talked to me though, only to another lady I knew. She seemed to be uncomfortable around me. Maybe I reminded her of someone she disliked, maybe she knew that I knew, and that made her shy away from me. Or maybe I just didn’t try hard enough.
Kimber and I went to the Hubbard House today. Followed the secret directions and went through security for our tour. It was amazing. And it was sobering. She talked about the numbers that come through there. About how they help the many women, the few men, and their children. Our guide was cheerful and strong, with a smile that could sell a freezer to an eskimo. I wonder if my spirit would hold up as well working somewhere like that. But she was awesome.
And suddenly the $320 check that I was so proud of seemed so small, so inadequate. Kimber and I want to thank everyone who donated prizes and cash towards this cause. We have decided that it is our cause for the year. And if you’re local, we’ll be asking you to help. Starting with the February Jax Ravelers on February 28th. If you’re coming, please bring a can of food. Hubbard House gets its groceries from local foodbanks and the foodbank shelves are looking bare in this economy. Everyone can spare a can of food, right?
It seems really appropriate that my very first Lime & Violet yarn arrived today. Intentions yarn in Healing.
Maybe I need to try harder.
The women’s shelter/local rape crisis center are the organizations I donate to every pay cycle — I have it set up so my company takes the money right out of my paycheck. When I was growing up, my mother insisted I have a career to fall back on, just in case. It’s so difficult to walk away from an abusive relationship even when you can support yourself financially. When you can’t, it gets that much harder.You did everything right. The truth of the matter is, you can’t force a woman to seek help or walk away until she’s good and ready. But stories like that really break the heart.
Doing more is a wonderful goal – but please try to remember you are doing SOMETHING and that is worth a lot. Thanks for thinking of others. And…for putting your money where your mouth is.