30 Oct Silent Screams

It was Friday and she had an early morning yoga class to teach. Sometimes he joined her but that day he decided to stay an extra hour and sleep in. As she kissed him goodbye with a promise to text him after her class, he thought to himself, ‘I am one lucky man to be able to love her’. She was the love of his life and she made the world beautiful.

An hour later, he started to get ready for the day. Music blaring in the background and the smell of coffee filling the air, he checked his phone to read her message. It was their morning ritual to always check in after her class, so it was a bit odd to see that she hadn’t so he fired off a text to her.
7:12 “Morning!”
7:48 “How was Yoga?”
He made his way into work wondering about her and if she was ok, it wasn’t like her to not respond. Meetings consumed his morning but he still had her in his thoughts and was getting worried. He tried again.
10:06 a.m. “Hellooooo!”
10:17 a.m. “Your silence worries me. Let me know you are OK please.”

Suddenly the phone rang and he thought finally, he picked it up and the caller identified himself as a police officer. His heart started to pound, “is she ok”? The officer told him to stay there because he was coming to get him. As he waited for the constable to show up, his head was spinning. He did not want to come to terms with what might have happened. He started putting together the inevitable conclusion that her ex-boyfriend must have violated the restraining order again and done something to hurt her. A police car pulled up and an officer got out of the car and said, “she’s dead”.

He was numb and in complete disbelief. His mind and body could not accept what the officer had so bluntly stated. She did everything the law requested her to do in order to protect herself against her ex-boyfriend but that morning he shot and killed her, then killed himself.

She was the most incredible person, a loving mom, sister and friend, she was one to never let “it might have been” linger on her lips or mind because she lived her life fully and loved with all of her heart…

I am currently working on raising awareness for Domestic Violence and sharing stories of the ripple effect it has on children, family, community and first responders. If you would like to share your story and be part of the awareness campaign called ‘Silent Screams’, please send me a message.