Prisoners Of Fear

Mona may not make it through the night. She sleeps with a man who sleeps with a knife. He is the same man who verbally, emotionally and physically assaults her by day. It's been this way since she married him more than four years ago. But she can't bring herself to leave. She is afraid for herself, for her four year old son-and even for her abuser. Imagine that-worrying about the man who hits her, stomps on her feet and threatens her life. Mona is trying to win his approval-to change him-in hopes that he will love her and protect her and that her life will evolve into the fairytale she dreamed about as a child growing up in Lithuania. But tonight-as she shared her story in a room filled with battered women, Mona admitted her fairytale dream had turned into a living nightmare....and that she is in fact a prisoner of her own fear. An unwitting accomplice to the abuse that is slowly sucking the life out of her. Mona is trying to summon the courage to leave-again. This time for good. She doesn't know it yet-but the key to her freedom, the key to unlock her prison of fear-lies within. She is bright, beautiful and brave on so many fronts--except when it matters most... demanding respect for herself. My prayer-is that if Mona makes it through the night-maybe in the morning-she will find the strength-and enough self respect-to escape her life of hell...before it's too late. She deserves better-we all do!