There have been disagreements, there has been name-calling. There have been times when things got broken, and even a time when someone got pushed into a wall. Tears and apologies followed, and things seemed better.
But then there was a time when a threat was made. One party cringed as they heard the words they never thought they would hear. Then, one night when the kids were asleep, he put a knife to her throat. And oh, do I wish I could tell you it wasn’t true, but it was. She told me this herself.
Please, I implore you. If you are in a relationship and you are seeing behaviors that are listed here, please get help. If you love someone, you want to help them. If you let destructive behaviors continue, you are not loving them. Don’t let fear stop you from doing what’s right.
The woman I referred to? She was my sister, and I no longer have her because she waited too long to share what was happening.
Please don’t let her story become yours.
Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Marjan Apostolovic
Anne Peterson is a poet, speaker and the author of 14 published books. Her memoir, Broken: A story of abuse and survival. You can also receive her free eBook Real Love or check out her website here.
