Judy Sharp, 61, from Brisbane, tells an encouraging story to motivate others. My heart sunk when my spouse presented me a bunch of tulips. ‘Thank you, they’re great,’ I replied, attempting a smile.Mick* sent flowers to her every Friday for 52 weeks of the year, without fail.It should have made her special, you might think, but it made her uncomfortable for the rest of the week.
He would become envious even the simplest of things. She was tightly regulated and deeply unhappy. When both of their sons were born, things worsened. He was so convinced she was cheating that he taped the front and back doors and checked every morning to see whether they were broken. The one thing that stung me the most was being called a bad mother.
She thought the lads deserved better. But Mick, her husband, held control over the finances, and she had nowhere to go with empty wallets. One day, she was sitting on the sofa with the boys when Mick insulted her. Suddenly, he grabbed the camera, took a snapshot of them, and told her that it was the final night she’d be alive so the boys could remember her.
He grabbed her while taking the picture, but her terrified screams forced him to stop. When he departed for work the next morning, she went with the boys.
Amid her mental turmoil, she looked for a place to rent. Tim had severe autism, therefore no shelter would accept them, making this their only alternative.
She took money from their account to pay the bail and a week’s rent.
They promptly took the removal van, packed it, and went. How is she going to raise two boys without money or a job? But as soon as she stepped into the new house, a weight lifted off her shoulders. Time passed, and Mick stopped hurting her, but what transpired in that house was terrifying to behold, especially for the young boys. She always showed them how much she loved them and made sure they didn’t get upset like their father.
‘Being kind is the most important thing you can do,’ she would remark. Read After: Family Adopts A 5-Year-Old Girl, But When She Learns To Speak English, They Discover The Harrowing Truth. She is overjoyed that both have grown into amazing, joyful gentlemen. Sam is now 30, a swim coach who tried out for the Olympics, and Tim, 32, is a talented artist.
She lives a beautiful life, with a job she enjoys and a house with a garden.She wanted to tell her story so that those who have been abused know they are not alone. Every year, on the anniversary of their escape, she shares a narrative on Facebook. The guys are so thrilled that they’re assisting other survivors.
A few years ago, she discovered the unsettling photograph Mick shot and decided to share it with everyone. It was difficult to see the expressions on their faces, but she wants women to understand that domestic abuse is never acceptable. No child deserves to grow up in such a dreadful atmosphere. She wants to spread the word that there is light at the end of the tunnel.