Tagged: women

TOGETHER WE CAN CHANGE THE WORLD

Sticks

(Photo and story by Shortstoriesshort.com)

When I started this blog, I had high hopes. But I must admit, there were many doubts too. Over the years I have seen this blog grow beyond my wildest dreams. And I have each and every visitor that comes to Cop-A-Squat or shares this blog with others, to thank for its huge success. I am mostly grateful to our Heavenly Father: without Him, none of our good fortune would have happened.

What can one man do? Quite a bit, if you look at the lives of some of the greatest men that ever lived. What can an army of men do with a solid purpose? Together they can move the world. Just like a bundle of sticks, there is more strength together than one stick alone.

As we enter a new year, what are your plans to change the world? What can you do to make a positive impact on others? We, at Cop-A-Squat, publish posts and books that we hope will entertain and inspire people to enjoy healthy reading, that hopefully will make reading more enjoyable and impact their lives in positive ways.

With every purchase of our books you are helping us change the world, one reader at a time. We can bring encouraging stories to the world, but we cannot do this alone. We need each and every one of you, because there is strength in unity – we ask you to join us on our journey.

I want to share an inspiring short story and a short video with you on the power of working together. See how the power of many makes all the difference.

Please enjoy the ‘Unity is Strength’ short story and its accompanying video. See you all in the coming months. We wish you all a Happy New Year.

The Cop-A-Squat Family

 

 UNITY IS STRENGTH

Once, an old man was very ill and lay dying in his bed. He had four sons who were always fighting with each other. He always worried about them and wanted to teach them a lesson and asked his sons to come to him. When they came, the old man gave them a bundle of sticks and said, “Can you break these sticks?”

The first son tried to break the bundle but nothing happened. He tried very hard and finally gave up. Then it was the turn of the second son to try his luck. He thought it would be an easy task and picked up the sticks easily. He tried his best to break the sticks but nothing happened. Then, the third son tried to break the bundle of sticks, but he couldn’t do anything either.

Meanwhile, the youngest son jeered at his brothers and thought they were very incompetent. He thought he was very clever and took one stick at a time and easily broke all of them.

The old father then smiled at his sons and said, “Children, do you understand what happened? It is always easy to break the sticks one by one. But when they are bundled together, none of you could break them. In the same way, you four brothers should always be together. No one will be able to hurt you then.” The four brothers realized what their father was trying to teach them, forgetting all their enmity and learning that unity is strength.

From that day onwards, they never fought with each other and lived together in peace and harmony.

 

WHAT’S for DINNER?

I can’t remember how many times my mother had to answer that question. I do remember how hard she worked to bring wholesome meals to our table.

Rarely did she complain and rarely did she have the chance to enjoy a night out on the town.

Here is a Poie from my book, Poies: A New Beginning. It answers that age old question – what’s for dinner? This story is a tribute to all the women who answer this question without fail.

 

If you ask me what’s for dinner tonight

I guarantee you, there’s gonna be a fight

You asked me that last night, and the night before

Ask me again and you’ll be getting off the floor

Two nights ago we had chicken, the night before that, stew.

So don’t ask me what’s for dinner. Let me tell you.

(By AdSence by Unreal)

Tonight we’re going out to dine

So I can relax and have some wine

(Beautiful Nasty)

Later tonight, if you’re nice, I’ll do a little show

As for dinner tomorrow, don’t ask – I’ll let you know.

What’s for dinner on this GOOD FRIDAY? Tell us in the comment section below.

 

THE COLOR OF PURPLE

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When writing the post DYING TO STAY ALIVE, I had serious reservations. The young woman’s battered face, the facts surrounding her abuse – all shocking. My heart goes out to her and her family.

Just as shocking is the amount of abuse occurring globally. So much so that President Obama in 2010 proclaimed October as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

Now every October, purple ribbons abound – “Raising Awareness about Domestic Violence.” Wait, isn’t purple the color symbol for cancer? Yes, and it’s the color for Domestic Violence, too.

Think about it, couldn’t domestic violence be viewed as a cancer? And like a cancer, if ignored, it will fester and grow and one day kills, unless it’s eradicated.

I wanted to bring more awareness to this senseless crime. Are you aware of these staggering facts?

According to the Genesis Women Shelter:

  • 1 in 4 women will know domestic violence in her lifetime.
  • 1 in 3 teenage girls will be physically assaulted by a boyfriend.
  • Domestic violence is the leading cause of injury to women ages 15-44 in the U.S. That’s more than car accidents, muggings, and rapes combined.
  • Boys who witness domestic violence in their homes are 1,500 times more likely to perpetrate abuse later in life.
  • 50% of girls growing up in an abusive home will go on to be victims of abuse themselves.

For our GOOD FRIDAY, we purchased and donated clothing to the Genesis Women Shelter. 

Do you know the color purple also represents royalty? And women everywhere should be treated like queens, because that’s just what they are.

If you or someone you love may be a victim of domestic violence, Know the Facts and remember Love Is Not Abuse.

SAFETY ALERT: If you are in danger, please call 911, your local hotline, or (in the U.S.) the National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233 or TTY 1-800-787-3224. Please review these safety tips.  

DYING TO STAY ALIVE

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He watches as she cleans the last of the mess. She holds a bag filled with old newspapers, beer bottles, and cigarettes butts. Slowly he comes into the room, offering his assistance.

She turns and strains a smile; holding a finger to her lips she whispers, “Thank you honey, I’m fine. Go back to sleep.” She kisses his bruised cheek. He heads back to bed.

He leaves the door slightly open and watches. He prays.

His prayer is interrupted. Large feet slam onto the wooden floor, the sound resonating through the house. The Monster is awake.

He resumes his prayer. “Stop you’re hurting me!” The child begins to cry. He wants to save her, but his stinging bruise stops him.

The sounds of breaking bottles and things crashing everywhere and shouts of, “YOU LOUSY WHORE!” will always remain. But it’s just one of many times he heard his mother being slammed to the floor. The sight of his father kicking her will remain forever.

Then silence. Silence so deafening, he hears it to this very day.

Suddenly, it’s broken. “DON’T YOU RUN FROM ME YOU BITCH!” The beating begins once more.

A toilet flushing, the creak of the bed – only after the child hears these sounds, he feels they’re safe. The Monster sleeps.

A few feet away she lies crumpled on the floor, blood draining from her mouth and nose. She, too, sleeps. In darkness, he prays.

Now lay me down to sleep, I pray you Lord my Mom do keep. If I should die before she wakes, I pray You Lord my Dad do take.

For many women, scenes like this are their reality. Broke and broken, they feel trapped in their relationship. To survive, they stay with their abusers. But they’re dying to stay alive. Unfortunately, scenes like this continue to grow because, for some, it’s justified. Someone on their WordPress site, (you know who you are) said, “I can feel no remorse or compassion towards such women, they wanted the bad guy and still they have the audacity to complain? Did anyone put a shotgun to your head and told you to hook up with him?”

I ask that person to look at the young woman in the photo, look hard and ask yourself…what woman deserves that?

These women don’t need our judgment, they need our help. Fortunately, many abused women do escape their abusers, many times with just the clothes on their backs.

Let’s help. For our GOOD FRIDAY, donate one article of clothing to a battered woman’s shelter. Come back on Friday and share your experience. And as always, keep your head up.