Dimple's Discoveries

        Four years ago I went on my first emergency call with police to a domestic violence scene. One call was all it took, and I knew I was made for advocacy. At 18 years old I had already seen my first case of domestic violence at my job in a geriatric center where I literally jumped between the victim and her abuser (do not try this at home!), and knew deep in my soul that I could do this for the rest of my life. I have seen some of the darkest horrors human beings can inflict on each other. I have cried with victims as they've shared their stories from hell and fought PTSD as a result. I've held clients as they shake after a night terror or assessed injuries to determine medical care. For years I've mediated conflicts, counseled endlessly, and encouraged and empowered women to rise from the ashes. Looking back makes me wish that the 24 year old woman I am could write a letter to the 18 year old girl I was, so here are the five lessons I've learned as an advocate...

I have been afraid countless times. Unfortunately being afraid is not an emotion I lack. It's not uncommon for me to be on high alert as I walk in a dark alley, as I am home alone and hear a loud noise, or even when someone touches me unexpectedly. However, these momentary times when your heartbeat stops for a second are not the ones I am referring to. Tonight I will tell you about the time I felt true fear. We've all heard of it, and some, I'm sure, have already experienced it's cold and rough grip: The mind-stopping, heart racing, time-slowing fear that flows like ice through our veins and freezes us where we stand. This fear that can so quickly penetrate every cell of our bodies and souls can be paralyzing; a lesson I was soon to learn. I work in dangerous situations all the time with my line of work, both at the county jail and as an advocate. Perhaps I had become accustomed to the thought, or was incredibly naive about my work... either way I was not emotion...

I am a fierce and passionate feminist. Let it be known that I am completely on board with women being considered equal to men.I also believe in gender roles, and cannot wait to fulfill my #1 goal of being a stay-at-home wife and mother. Believers in both ideas would call me a traitor or fence-sitter. I am about to tell you why I am not a walking contradiction (in this topic anyway). I believe that gender roles are a stronghold for a stable community. Before anyone decides to get spicy, do I mean that a man cannot be a good cook or nurturer? Of course not! Do I mean a woman isn't capable of holding her own in an office or any workforce? Of course not! We are all capable of so many incredible things, each of us with unlimited potential. But each gender has intrinsic and divinely placed gifts, so we are each asked to lift where we stand by using the gifts we have to better the world around us. The Proclamation to the Family states: "Gender is an essential characteristic of indi...