“Hi guys. My name is Emma. Emma Murphy.” A young woman with a bruised face says to the camera. “I’ve been thinking long and hard, and contemplating whether or not to post this video… I finally decided, after a lot of thinking, that yeah. I need to do this for me and my children. I need to raise awareness for other women out there.” What comes next is an incredibly moving and honest message straight from the heart.
Emma tells the camera about her 3 and a half year-long relationship. “He was the love of my life.” she says. “Loved him with all my heart. We’ve had ups and downs. I cherish the ups, I wont miss the downs.” But, no matter how much Emma loved him, Emma’s boyfriend started cheating on her, and eventually became violent. Emma was able to get away from him, taking their two kids with her. That’s when she recorded this video.
Emma talks about the moment when she realized she had to leave: “This is not acceptable. NO man has any right to put his hand on a woman… It is not right to raise a hand to a woman. And its only now that I’ve realized that. And I’ve had the courage to walk away.”
But it wasn’t just about the physical abuse, it was emotional and mental as well. “For the last year and a half I’ve been told that I’m paranoid, I’m a psycho, I’m nuts, my insecurities will kill me one day.” she says. To be hit “even once” is “unacceptable. But to be made to feel that it is acceptable is even worse.”
Perhaps most powerful of all is the way Emma talks about her children. She cries thinking about raising her two small kids without their dad. “And they’re gonna know that their daddy hit their mommy.” she says through tears. “And that’s not something that children should see at all. They shouldn’t see any violence.”
Emma’s ability to walk about from this abusive relationship, and her bravery in sharing her story with the world, truly blows me away. Now– only a year after posting her story– Emma is the picture of beauty, happiness, and independence. Watch her emotional video below.
Share Emma’s brave story and powerful message today!
https://www.facebook.com/facebook/videos/912227398833919/
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