...But Who Are The VOICES of Acadiana Really?

You may have seen us on Facebook. You may have read our first blog post… but you still may be asking, “Who are the VOICES of Acadiana REALLY?”

This is a Great Question that deserves an answer.

We are single. We are married. We are college students. We are professionals. We are educators. We are business owners. We are mamas. We are sisters. We are daughters. We are friends.

We have suffered abuse as children. We have suffered abuse in teenage dating relationships. We have suffered abuse in adult dating relationships. We have suffered abuse in long-term marriages.

We have suffered emotional abuse. Physical abuse. Spiritual abuse. Verbal abuse. Financial abuse. Sexual abuse. Psychological abuse. We’ve been stalked. Isolated. Gaslighted. Intimidated. Threatened. Hit. Cut. Violated. Controlled.

The beauty of having a group of ten women volunteering their time in a united way to bring domestic violence to the forefront, while giving women a safe place to use their voice and break the silence is this:

We are all different.

We are all unique.

SO ARE EACH ONE OF YOU.

The women of the VOICES of Acadiana committee recognize the fact that we are serving a diverse population, and we want you all to have options. There isn’t a “one-way” to transition from victim to survivor. There isn’t a “one-way” to your healing.

Some of us come from a faith-based background. Some of us found our faith when we chose ourselves over the abuse. For those of us that are faith-based, faith is what has gotten us through. Therefore, to forsake our faith in these talks with you would mean that we are not being real and we are not being true to our own selves and our own truth.

Some of us find strength and value and healing in turning inward, meditating, reflecting and being educated. For those of us that have turned inward and are cerebral thinkers, dissecting the issues has served us well and gotten us through.

Some of us have spent thousands of dollars in professional therapy.

Some of us have practiced mindfulness and yoga.

Some of us have filled up journals with doodles and thoughts and song lyrics.

Some of us have laughed so hard we’ve pissed our pants.

Some of us have secluded ourselves for a night or a weekend just to be alone with our thoughts.

Some of us have talked about it with our friends over wine until our lips almost fell right off of our faces.

Some of us have temporarily fallen apart to be built back up.

We have all cried a thousand tears.

We have all lost many relationships that existed before and during the abuse.

We have all been terrified.

We have all been incredibly pissed off.

We have all connected to one another in a deep and meaningful way and we support one another.

We have all survived.

You have too.

We have all been brave.

You have too.

We have all taken our lives back.

You can too.

We have all embraced and spoken up about our truth.

You can too.

We cannot wait to meet  all of you brave souls.

Like Kit deLuca tells Vivian at the end of Pretty Woman… “Take care of YOU”, with a big ole hug! See you in October.

~Brandie Stelly, Systems Change Chair