Comfort Doll Project

Here's a little project that I think is totally worth your time going to check it out. Miss Brenda is at http://comfortdollproject.blogspot.com/ She and her followers make these comfort dolls and send to shelters that house abused women.

The reason this project is so dear to me is that it has touched my life personally. I don't really remember my cousin Sue, she married when I was young. She was the oldest grand-daughter on my dad's side of the family. Sue grew up fast and was married by the time she was 15 ( not unheard of for that time era) Her husband immediately started beating her. She kept it most of the time from the family...he made her feel alone, isolated and fearful of disobeying him. She had 2 children and you would think this crazy man would not have dared to hit her while she was pregnant...but he did. For the first couple years he left the children alone...containing his beatings to only her. One night he reached out and struck his own daughter for spilling milk at the dinner table. I guess something inside Sue's head snapped. While he was at work the next day, she packed her 2 children and went to her mothers house. She had left plenty times before, always coming back with the sweet promises and gifts he would buy for her. This last time there were no promises, no gifts and after his rampage...no cousin Sue. He shot her dead with one bullet in the middle of my aunts kitchen, in front of her own children. he, of course was sent to prison, the children went to live with his parents and I have not heard one word about them my whole adult life.

I still mourn the beautiful girl Sue was. And I still get angry when people say "why don't you just leave" Sue did leave. I can't imagine the courage it took to be that scared of a person and still go, knowing in her heart it was going to end this way...one time or another.

So for Sue and for all those that find that courage to go....my very small way to help them is to make these little dolls...something to encourage them by thinking someone out there still cares. Yes Sue's story happened more than 40 years ago.....isn't it sad that theres still a need? Still women being battered, whose only fault was giving their heart to the wrong person.