Happy Halloween. Haunted Château

There are a lot of spooky places in Paris. I took Gracie to the catacombs of Paris when she was little. The Catacombs are deep underground the streets of Paris and house the remains of 6 million people. The bones are all artistically arranged, of course. I continued my reign of terror with Gracie as I also took her to the Conciergerie in Paris which is a former prison where Marie Antoinette awaited the guillotine. Gracie was so terrified that she could hardly look into Marie Antoinette’s cell. Gracie decided the best thing to do was to just stand still and close her eyes. She was even too scared to run. I had to carry her out. It was hysterical… I should have my parenting license revoked or at least suspended.

 

The most scared I have ever been in my entire life is at my grandmother’s house. She had a big old stone house and everything was beautiful and warm and cozy… Except the basement and the attic. It was like a house of horrors up in the attic and down in the basement. I was always convinced that I saw blood on the walls. I wouldn’t even go there as an adult if you paid me.

There is nothing spookier than a haunted house but there is also nothing chicer than a haunted château, non? Take a look at these photos of abandoned châteaux in France. By the way, in my mind, abandoned means haunted.…

A toute!

*Okay, I’m here today to ruin our happy-go-lucky Happy Halloween series. I have a feeling this blog could go two ways… You might hate me or you might agree with me. Regardless, I will still like all of you… Maybe. Here’s the scoop.… I received a “comment” on my blog yesterday that stirred up some emotions. A woman who identified herself by first and last name and was aware that her comment was public, wrote that we all have our burdens to bear… She said my burden was ALS and her burden was an abusive husband.

Now, being me, I could not just let this comment slip. Now, also being me, I wasn’t very empathetic. My response to her was that yes, I do have ALS but I cannot run away from it. She, having an abusive husband, can run away. The two are not similar. I told her that if she was smart enough to get on a computer and write a comment on a blog, then she was smart enough to stand up and walk away. The only way she wouldn’t be able to walk away was if she was hostage and I doubt that is the case if she’s reading my stupid blog. In this day and age, in my opinion, there are no excuses to stay in an abusive relationship unless you want to. There are shelters, there are hotlines, there are charities and there is the police. I am fully aware that this is not an easy out. I realize that even if you get a restraining order against your douche bag husband that he could violate the restraining order and still hurt you, and maybe even kill you. But guess what? He would do it anyway so you might as well try to leave. I don’t fancy the notion that you should stay in an abusive relationship for the children. That means you’re a shitty mother. Your job as a mother is to protect the children, so grab the rugrats and leave. I also don’t fancy the notion that you should stay in an abusive relationship because your douche bag husband is the sole financial provider. Walk away, get a job and support yourself. Like I said, there are plenty of charities that will help you get on your feet. Hell, I’ll help you get back on your feet. I also don’t fancy the notion that if you were raised in an abusive family then this is just the circle of life. No, it’s not. It is up to you to break the abusive chain. No matter what excuse you give me for staying in an abusive relationship, you are wrong.

You are not brave enough, you think, to walk away? Yes you are. Women are stronger than men. Do you think a man could ever have a baby? No, that’s why women were chosen to have the babies because we can handle it. Gather your courage and walk away

No matter how scary it may seem to walk away and start life on your own it’s better than being abused by your douche bag husband. You don’t agree with me? Well then, stay in that relationship and see how that works out for you, idiot.

 Remember what Maya Angelo says, “When you know better, you do better.” I know that this woman knows better.

Do you think your husband will change? Nope, he won’t. Remember also what Maya Angelo says, “When people show you who they are, believe them the first time.”

Maybe this woman was reaching out to me and telling me that she has an abusive husband as a way of asking for help. Good for her, if that’s the case because she came to the right girl. I will be her superhero, I will be her wonder woman and I will guide her out of this rabbit hole that she has gotten herself into. Maybe all of you can help as well. If I can help her while I have ALS, you all can help as well. Even if you have cancer, you can do it between your chemotherapy. The only way I’m going to let any of you off the hook for not helping this woman is the following… If you are in Africa, working with Doctors without Borders at an Ebola clinic…you are off the hook. If you are caring for any sick child, a child in need or a child in danger…you are off the hook. If you are working in any capacity to get the African schoolgirls back who were kidnapped by Boko Haram…you are off the hook. If you are at Oscar de la Renta’s funeral…you are off the hook, obviously. But, other than that, no one is too busy to help this woman. Leave your advice for her in the comment section and maybe, just maybe, something one of us says to her will flip the light switch back on and she will see clearly.