Brave

I have been receiving an INFLUX of amazing personal stories through email. I want to thank each one of you for your bravery in sharing your stories. They are each amazing and show how important this cause is. Here is Christag_Banner's story. It is real and intense. I admire her immensely for allowing me to post it here.

"Fall of 1990

I met the man of my dreams.  Or so I thought.  He started out sweet and kind.  Don't they all?  He was older than I.  I was just a junior in high school and he had graduated the year before.

Things were fine for a few months.  We dated like everyone else.  I honestly don't remember the exact day or even why he hit me the first time.  I do remember  being hit in the eye.  And panicking on how I would hide it from my mother later on.  From then on it was a regular occurrence and he learnt how to hit me and hurt me where no one would see the evidence. 

I remember being frightened to leave.  When I would tell him I was leaving him, breaking up with him, he would hit me more.  When I finally got used to being hit I started to fight back.  That is when he started with the threats that if I were to tell anyone about his abuse or if I were to leave him he would hurt my family."

 

Read more of Christa G.'s story on the Personal Stories page.