RADV Article: Every Choice Is a Payment
Life has taught me something I wish I had understood much earlier. Every choice we make is like making a payment. Some payments are small. Others cost us more than we ever imagined. But every decision is an investment in the life we will eventually live. When I look back over my own life, I […]
RADV Article: One Day at a Time
“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” — Matthew 6:34 (NIV) If you’ve lived through abuse, worrying about tomorrow can become second nature. “What if they find me?” “What if I can’t make it on my own?” “What if the court doesn’t […]
RADV Article: I Turned My Pain Into Purpose
There was a time when I thought my story would always be defined by what happened to me. Like many survivors, I carried pain that no one could see. I questioned my worth. I wondered if anyone would ever understand. There were days when it felt easier to stay silent than to relive the hurt. […]
RADV Article: Not All Cops Are Bad
There are survivors who have had painful experiences when they reached out for help. Some felt dismissed. Some weren’t believed. Some walked away feeling more alone than when they made the call. Those experiences are real, and they deserve to be acknowledged. But we also need to be careful not to let one painful experience […]
Before There Was RADV
Chapter 3: John Doe I don’t remember every detail of that night. Trauma has a way of taking pieces of your memory. What I do remember changed my life forever. I remember leaving the bar. I remember being dragged outside. I remember being on the ground. Then the kicks started. Over and over again. After […]
RADV Article: The Word of the Day Is: Kindness
Kindness is often mistaken for weakness, but in reality, it takes incredible strength to remain kind in a world that can be so hurtful. If you’ve lived through abuse, kindness can feel unfamiliar. You may have been spoken to with harsh words, controlled through fear, or made to believe that kindness always comes with strings […]
RADV Article: When Your Mother Is the One Being Abused
There is a unique kind of pain that comes with watching your mother live in an abusive relationship. As an adult child, you may feel like the roles have been reversed. The person who once protected you is now someone you desperately want to protect. You may lie awake wondering if she’s safe, worry every […]
RADV Presents: The Ripple Effect
Changing Tomorrow by Investing in Today Series #5: Time Is Love There is one gift every child longs for. It’s not the newest toy. It’s not the latest phone. It’s not expensive vacations or designer clothes. It’s your time. Children spell love in a way adults sometimes forget. T-I-M-E. They remember the fishing trip more […]
RADV Article: Not Everyone Is Your Abuser
Abuse changes you. It changes the way you hear words, the way you interpret silence, and the way you respond to disappointment. It teaches you to expect betrayal, manipulation, rejection, and pain. Those reactions aren’t signs of weakness—they’re signs that you survived something that never should have happened. But there comes a point in healing […]
RADV Article: The Courage to Make the Right Choice
There comes a moment in many abusive relationships when you begin asking yourself the hardest questions. “Is this the life I want for my children?” “Is this the life I want for myself?” Those questions can be frightening because the answers often require courage. Leaving an abusive relationship is rarely as simple as walking out […]