It is Valentine’s Day. I’ve been listening to the radio on and off all day. The stories are all light and fluffy. The hosts chatter on about love and romance as if this were everyone’s experience. But we know that for lot’s of women love hurts and Valentine’s Day is just one more reminder of that.

I remember when I was in an abusive relationship, standing in the card shop reading every card, trying to fine one that I could sign with sincerity. There were none. Valentine’s day, like our wedding anniversary, was just one more reminder that things were not the way I longed for them to be.

If you are reading this blog and you are in a hurtful relationship, know that you are not alone.

Karen.

I was so saddened last night when I found out that a woman in my community had been murdered by her ex-boyfriend. A worker at my local transition house told me about it with tears in her eyes. The transition house had enjoyed getting to know this woman who was bravely getting her life back from her abusive ex. She was about to move out of the transition house and into a long term housing project. Everything looked so hopeful and then she was dead.

There are lots of questions that come to mind in the face of a tragedy like this but the one that most stands out for me is why did I not hear anything about this. It was not on the radio or t.v. Apparently, there was a small article about it in one of the papers. This woman’s murder happened on the same day that a truck full of quarters fell over on the highway and the quarters ran everywhere. Do you remember hearing about that? That was newsworthy but this woman’s life was not?!?

One to two women a week are murdered by their partner or ex-partner in Canada every year. Women are 13 times more likely to be injured by their partner than by a stranger. The most dangerous place for a woman to be is in her own home! I hope this blog helps to make more visible that which is currently invisible in our society. Women are being hurt – emotionally, verbally, sexually and physically by their partners at a staggering rate.

Karen.