How is everyone's summer going? We are keeping very busy and getting ready to start back to school shopping. Aubrey, my 4 year old, gets to start a real preschool program this year at the elementary school my son goes to. She is very excited! I just passed my 3 year anniversary of getting away from my abuser. Each year I don't think the anniversary will affect me but it does. I cry tears of joy, triumph, and anger. Joy because I am away from him, triumph because I did it, and anger because things he did to me still affect me and my present relationship sometimes. I want to be healed already, I want the memories to not affect me but they do. Everyone heals differentlly. I can't snap my fingers and magically make everything not hurt or not affect me. I am proud of my success so far and look forward to continue down my path.

Here's the latest article from the Domestic Violence site at BellaOnline.com.

Power and Control - One Woman's Story
This is one woman´s story of how her abuser is still trying to control and manipulate her and her child even after no cantact for nearly 5 years.

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art52146.asp

Please visit domesticviolence.bellaonline.com for even more great content about Domestic Violence.

To participate in free, fun online discussions, this site has a community forum all about Domestic Violence located here -

http://forums.bellaonline.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=postlist&Board=72

I hope to hear from you sometime soon, either in the forum or in response to this email message. I thrive on your feedback!

Have fun passing this message along to family and friends, because we all love free knowledge!

Jeanette Stingley, Domestic Violence Editor
http://domesticviolence.bellaonline.com

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