BEATING BEING BEATEN

After returning from an outing this afternoon we pulled up in front of my house and as my father started to unload the car I watched as a woman approached. I sat in the car but instantly felt some sort of weird connection to this woman. My soul was so in tune with her energy that I swear it felt like an invisible hand was reaching out from inside of me to comfort her. I could not hear a single word that she was saying so I wanted to step out to see if my intuition was correct; see when this woman first walked up a picture flashed before my eyes and I saw this woman in an apartment being beaten and choked. I stepped out of the car and walked up to her and said, "Hello." She stopped in mid sentence of what she was saying to my father and turned to me and said, "Hello Miss." She was wearing a brown graffiti painted hoodie with cream colored jeans and work boots. She looked clean but then she removed her hood and I wanted to cry. This beautiful sister had a black eye and bruises all around her neck. She looked at me and said, "Miss please I'm hungry, and I have no money to get anything to eat." My heart went out to her. I handed her the money and she shook my hand, thanking me over and over again. She told me her name was Carmel and I told her mine after which I watched her walk down the block and go to the corner store. 

I turned to my father and asked, "What did she say when she first walked up?" He said that she told him she was living with a man who beats her and is controlling and because she has no money to get anything to eat she is hungry. As he told me this tears came to my eyes and I said a prayer for this beautiful woman. I started to feel terrible that I didn't do anything more but then I didn't know exactly what more I could possibly have done at that very moment. I prayed that if this woman should need any other assistance and if it is meant for me to help her that I will see her again. 

I have never been in a physically abusive relationship. I do not know what it is like to be in that situation. I can only imagine feeling confused because I love someone thinking they love me in return but not understanding why love has to hurt so much. I can only imagine coming up with the excuses I will use tomorrow when I go out to work when someone possibly notices the black and blue marks I'm wearing. I can only imagine feeling trapped because I have a child by this man (or with this woman) and right now I cannot afford to live on my own because he (or she) is the bread winner of the household and besides I want us to be a family. All of these things I can only imagine but sadly too many women can say that they know what it is like first hand.

So I say to my sisters who are in an abusive relationship right now... GET OUT!!!

Sister,

You are sacred. That man or woman that is hitting you does not love you. He/She can't love you because he/she does not love him/herself. See, our actions are reflections of our inner being. Do not make excuses for the pain that he/she continues to inflict upon you. Stand up and realize what you are. You are a woman. A woman is strength in its most infinite form. That man/woman in front of you would not be standing there today had it not been for a woman, and a woman before her, and a woman before her, and a woman before her. You are the essence of life. Do not allow anyone to tell you that you are anything less. Before him/her you had life and after him/her you will have life but that life is only guaranteed if you step away because every time that he/she hits you there is another chance that you may not make it out this time. Do not be afraid to leave; be afraid to stay. You are beautiful and you are worth so much more than what he/she is trying to make you believe. He/she is only stripping you of your self worth so that he/she can control you but it is time that you take back your power. Think of every baby girl in this world, every baby girl still in their mother's womb and every baby girl yet to be conceived and take a stand for each of them. I know the process of recovery may not be the easiest but the point is that YOU WILL RECOVER! Each second spent in this prison is another second that you will not be happy and though you may be trying to convince yourself of the fact that life is naturally not perfect and every day is not filled with sunshine it is your natural human birth right to determine your own happiness. It is not too late... Leave now.

With love, light, and prayers of protection and strength,

Aisha Nailah

If you or someone you know is in an abusive relationship and needs help feel free to contact The National Domestic Violence Hotline (www.thehotline.org). The organization even has a special feature that allows for "Quick Escape": 

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