Time to Fly Free: Meditations for Those Who Have Left an Abusive Relationship
From the age of sixteen, Judith Smith experienced one abusive relationship after another and, at the age of thirty-nine, found herself in the most violent and terrifying relationship of her life. She endured the abuse and emotional turmoil for three years before deciding to break free.Once Smith emerged from the insanity of that relationship, she realized that she wanted to change her life. She wanted to understand why she had felt so emotionally chained to her abuser, and why she had never been able to enjoy a loving and fulfilling relationship. She joined a support group that offered education for battered women and attended every week, oftentimes more, for over nine months. She went to counseling and obtained counseling for her children with an agency specializing in domestic violence and abuse. She then attended a training program to become a domestic violence counselor.It is from her personal experience as a battered woman that Smith understands how emotionally overwhelmed and vulnerable people feel in the beginning stages of leaving an abusive relationship. Time to Break Free is designed to be short, and easy to understand. It is written for the first one hundred days after a person leaves an abuser. This is a most difficult time, as many people, unaware of their options or lacking education on the subject of abuse, return to theft abusers or find similar relationships.One of the most common statements among newly aware abused women is, "I just didn't know." It is with this in mind, and with love, compassion, and hope, that Smith has written this book for women who are ready to take back their lives and begin the process of breaking free.Smith currently resides in Roseville, California and is the single mother of two young children. She has extensive experience as an educator, artist, publisher, graphic designer, and creative advertising specialist.