Sunday, March 23, 2008

Welcome

The snow still lies on the ground here in Montreal. -10c and not your typical Easter Sunday. I tried to decorate the house with lilac daisies in a glass vase decorated with lilac and green ribbons...trying to be a little like Kelly-Anne with her Martha Stewart "savoir faire". Little ceramic bunnies line the cabinet in the dining room. Easter egg napkins adorn the dining room table. Pictures of Kelly-Anne surround us, reminding us daily of the beautiful life that was lost to a senseless horrific murder in October 2004.

I was told the day Kelly-Anne died that my life would forever change and it has. Life is different, I see the world differently. I don't sweat the small stuff. Nothing worse in my life could ever effect me as loosing Kelly-Anne is the ultimate pain that I would ever suffer.

Almost four years later, I have now moved along a road that I feared for the day we said goodbye to Kelly-Anne. I did not know how my life would go...how was I to live without Kelly-Anne I asked myself.

I found that if I told Kelly-Anne's story of how she lived and how she died, I would be able to build awareness for other young, middled aged or older women about domestic violence. I have learnt so much since Kelly-Anne's death...I learnt about violence against women at a very high price. My mission now is to educate other women.....there are no boundaries....domestic violence touches all women no matter what their education, social or economic, race, color or religion is.

When I am asked to address women or teenagers at conferences, I feel that Kelly-Anne is near me saying.....".thanks Mom, thanks for helping others and being my voice."

I love you Kelly-Anne and miss you everyday.

2 comments:

Anon said...

Doreen, this is a wonderful idea, and I think what you have to say and share is so very important.

Anon

jessica and fred said...

Doreen,
What a wonderful idea to honor your daughter this way. She will always be around this way. Some write for fun, which I do! Other like my Mike write because -as he puts it -"he can". Your are very courageous and eloquent and I have added your blog to my favorites and will look forward to every installment. It is a must for people to see this kind of violence from the "other side". The reporting on violence and domestic abuse is often one-sided. Kudos to you. Love Jessica