Judy Sharp, 61, a native of Brisbane, inspires people with inspirational stories.
When my spouse gave me a bunch of tulips, I felt sad.
I said, “Thank you, they’re lovely,” with a fake smile.
Every Friday for fifty-two weeks of the year, Mick* always gave her flowers.
You may think it would have set her apart, but for the rest of the week, it really made her feel uncomfortable.
He would become envious of the little things. She was in control and quite unhappy.
The birth of both of their boys made matters worse.
Because he was so certain she was cheating, he covered the front and back doors with sticky tape and made sure it wasn’t damaged every morning.
The thing that hurt her the most was being called a bad mother.
The boys deserved better, in her opinion.
She had nowhere to go, though, and her pockets were empty because her husband, Mick, was in control of the money.
One day, Mick began insulting her while she and the boys were seated on the sofa. He suddenly grabbed the camera, snapped a photo of the boys to give them a memento of their mother, and told her it was her last night on earth.
As he was shooting the picture, he attempted to grab her, but her frightened cries prevented him.
When he departed for work the next morning, she went with the boys.
Her mind was a mess as she searched for a rental property. Due of Tim’s severe autism, no shelter would let them in, so this was their last resort.
She took money out of their account to cover a week’s rent and the bail.
They hurriedly loaded stuff, got into the removal van, and drove out.
With no money and no employment, how in the world is she going to raise two boys? However, a burden was relieved as soon as she entered the new home.
After a while, Mick stopped hurting her, but what transpired in that home was horrifying to see, especially for the little boys.
She always showed them how much she loved them and made sure they didn’t become upset like their father.
She would also say, “Being kind is the most important thing you can be.”
She is really proud that they both turned into great, content gentlemen. Sam, 30, is a swim coach who tried out for the Olympics, and Tim, 32, is a creative artist.
She lives a lovely life with a career she enjoys and a home with a garden.
She wanted to share her story to let those who have experienced abuse know they are not alone.
Every year on the anniversary of their escape, she posts a story on Facebook. The guys take great pride in helping other survivors.
When she saw the haunting photo Mick shot a few years ago, she wanted to show it off to everyone.
She wants women to know that domestic abuse is never acceptable, even though it was hard to observe their faces. It should not be necessary for any youngster to grow up in such a horrible environment.
She wants to let people know that there is still hope for the future.
*Mick’s name has changed.
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