OCTOBER

October is a month that seems to kick off the season of hustle and bustle. Not only do the holidays of Halloween, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and Christmas roll up in short order, but the weather becomes cool, and the energy that flagged all summer long seems to slip back into our lives.

For those of us involved with Domestic Violence Services, it is an intense month of "awareness". Now each month of the year seems to have 3 or 4 causes that want to claim the month as theirs. And colors, don't get me started on colors. With all the colors of the rainbow available, most causes share their color with 5 or 6 diseases. It's enough to make anyone turn their back on every rubber bracelet and every crisscrossed ribbon, but this is my blog and my heart belongs to the millions of women and children and even some men who suffer in silence year after year, week after week, minute after minute under the brutality labeled Domestic Violence.

This month, as a DV volunteer advocate, DV school visitor, DV volunteer resident assistant, and Chair of the local DVS advisory board, I will spend my time trying to "push mud uphill". If we are going to end this scourge in our country, we must start with our children. I mean young children, not high school, not even junior high aged children, but younger. We must teach our children to respect others, not just themselves. We have to say the words "domestic violence". It is an atrocity that thrives in silence and behind closed doors. Sometimes it leaves no physical marks, but the result is an expensive burden on our society. It leads to mental illness, juvenile delinquency, homelessness, drug use, alcoholism, violent crimes of every type, sexual abuse, child abuse,.......enough!

So in the words and melody of my youth: "teach your children well", and keep your local Domestic Violence program in mind when you consider your charitable giving. It may not be the fashionable cause, but it is a far reaching cause.