October is a particularly harder month. As shared in this post from last year, my friend was a victim of domestic violence and her life was taken in October 2010. October is also Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
In 2010, Larsen's parents made a brave decision to share their story with the news in hopes to raise awareness. There was one particular statement that Larsen's dad made that has stuck with me over these years in regards to domestic violence. And that is the shame that she felt from it. It breaks my heart when I think about it. I can only imagine the internal struggle of breaking the silence of a situation like that. So much so that a victim isn't able to make a move and get out of it. However, I feel like I should clarify that my friend did make the move. She was very brave.
My heart will always hurt and long for my dear friend, and it hurts for her son, her family and friends. And when I think of the victims of domestic violence and those that may be living in dangerous situations but feeling trapped by fear or embarrassment, it hurts. I always wish there was more I could do, but I know that having the awareness in my day-to-day life and sharing the message to raise awareness is something.
If you are interested in getting more info for yourself or a loved one, there are soooo many resources out there. Too many to list off here (and a lot of them are local to your city) but there's shelters, legal assistance, advice on how to get out and much more if you search for it.
And if you are interested in supporting Larsen's parents in raising her beautiful son who was diagnosed with autism, please visit www.larsenslegacy.com. Below is a recent note from her amazing parents...
I recorded this song two years ago, a favorite worship song of Lar's. The song has been a huge blessing to me and it will always be near and dear to my heart. I'm sharing it here as it may be a blessing to you as well.
Love you, Lar. Always.
No comments:
Post a Comment