Dear Howard,

Your factual observations make a lot of sense and it’s good for me to hear from someone with your professional background who has experience in the subject. you are right in saying that if I carry on with things as they are, that will be my future. You are also right in saying that I am in an emotional logjam. The stress that I have been under over the past few years has worn me down and depleted me of vitality and strength. I need to really work on myself to strengthen physically and emotionally, and that is what I am doing at the moment with yoga meditation and healthy eating. I have been registered with Tiny Buddha for over a year now and I wish I had done it sooner as each of you, who replied to this post has given me encouragement and made me fee,l with each reply, a bit stronger. I will get in touch with a woman’s shelter and search for any similar organisations that can give information and point me in the right direction. I am sure that with the right information about the help available I will finally gather the courage I need to break free. Many thanks for your reply.

Dear Matt,

Thanks for replying to this post. Your words of wisdom have really touched and moved me. Perhaps, like you so wisely suggest the answer is in me. Maybe I cannot change the situation but I can change the way I deal with it. The past three years have most definitely taken me on a path I would never have imagined, It has led me to spirituality and self improvement. I have been watching talks from “Tara Brach” that have brought me a lot of comfort and I will most definitely search “Sharon Salzburg” as suggested by you. I feel my heart is bruised and tired and in need of some attention, I have never tried Metta meditation before but I am opened to trying something new and test the results, thanks for kindly suggesting it to me.

Love and Namaste

Silvia