**This is a letter written by an anonymous male, addressing all women whether Victims or Survivors**
To all the women that need to hear this,
You weren’t brought here by accident and you aren’t reading this message due to a coincidence. You are reading this message because this is exactly what you needed to hear right now.
Every year more and more women continue to fall victim to Domestic Violence. That means every year more and more people are forgetting their worth and exactly how important they are.
You are not here by accident and you were not made to be treated poorly. You hold value to your community and your existence makes you an essential part of life.
You have every right to be treated with the love, care and respect you deserve. There is no reason for anyone to hurt you or to make you feel like any less of a human being.
You have the right to be loved. Yes, it is true that both Love and Pain are both four letter words but that doesn’t mean love should bring you pain.
You have the right to be happy, to smile, to have a good time with your friends, and you also have the right to feel beautiful. Please don’t let anyone take these rights away from you. Please don’t let anyone take your power away…yes, YOUR power.
You are a powerful woman, and you have the power to overcome the obstacles in your path, all you have to do is find the courage to do so. I know that sometimes getting away may seem scary, but I promise it’s only the first step that is hard. I promise you that you are not alone. I promise you that you care, and there are people out there that will appreciate you and show you your worth. More importantly I promise you that there are people that love you, care about you and only want the best for you.
Please don’t confuse love with violence and verbal abuse, they are very different. Please don’t confuse love for possessive behaviour, you belong only to yourself and whoever you decide to give yourself to. Please don’t confuse love with pain. That isn’t what it is.
No woman deserves to be a victim of Domestic Violence. If you find yourself if a position where you are a victim of Domestic Violence please don’t be quiet about it. Ask for help, talk about it and don’t be ashamed. There are people that will help and protect you. If someone is hurting you please take to proper steps that will ensure that they take responsibility for their actions and face the consequences for them.
You will not only be helping yourself but you will be helping other women who may be in that situation too. Your actions can give them the hope and faith they need to get help as well. You owe it to yourself to get the very best out of life. To be happy, to be respected, and to be free. More importantly you owe it to yourself to know the true meaning of love.
Love is patient and Love is Kind.
Sincerely
C.M
New York, NY