What Would You Do?

If you’ve been keeping up with my blog, or if you’ve read my books, have you taken a few minutes to think about what you would do if you knew of, or suspected, a child was being abused?

Would you turn your head and look the other way? Would you bury your head in the sand, and say: “It’s not my problem.” Or, would you step up to the plate and call the police to save a child?

If you saw a child in a car all alone, parked in a lot or behind a junk yard, what would you do?

We all know leaving a child (or an animal) inside a car during the hot summer months, with or without the windows cracked open, isn’t something to do since it doesn’t take very long for the inside temperature of a car to rise and suck the life right out a child or an animal.

But what about the winter months or at night? Sure, the car isn’t going to become an inferno of heat, but what about the cold? What about that scared little child (or that animal) inside a car, shivering, unable to get warm?

I was very lucky my father didn’t leave me in the car during the hot summer heat (that I can remember), but he did leave me so many times in the car while he went off to have his fun with some woman he’d picked up. I didn’t have warm clothes to wear. I didn’t even have a coat. All I had was a thin dress and an even thinner blanket. Nothing that would even come close to keeping me warm.

But the sad thing is: I know people saw me! I tried to stay out of sight, but people did see me, and not one person ever called the police.

Did they not care? Or, did they just not think? Or, did they think someone else would make that call?

If just one person had picked up the phone and made that one important call, I could have been saved from a life of misery and pain. For six long years I suffered heartache and sorrow and abuse! All because no one picked up the damn phone!

But my misery didn't end after the FBI found me. I lived for many more years still suffering because I didn't know how to change my life. I didn't know how to accept what had happened to me, or how to forgive myself for something that wasn't even my fault.

In my book, Bitter Memories: A Memoir of Heartache & Survival, I talk openly about my life. As heartbreaking as it was to write, and as difficult as it is for readers to read, I had to tell what happened to me in order to help other survivors know they are not alone. But, I also wrote it so other people who never experienced abuse could learn what it’s like for a child living with abuse, neglect and hunger.

Even though my story is about extreme abuse, it will be similar to other stories of child abuse. But it doesn't take extreme to mess up a kid, forever!

Everyone needs to know how important it is to get involved. Don’t wait for someone else to do what you know should be done; to do what you know is right — because no one but you might do it!

If you haven’t thought about what you would do, take a few moments to think about it. If you’d seen me in that car, all alone, dirty, cold and scared, would you have called anyone to help me?

If you saw a child with bruises over and over again, or welts and/or cuts from a belt, would you call the police, and say: “There’s a child I suspect might be abused. Please check into it.”

Think about it. Would you?

It’s only with help from strangers that an abused child can be saved. They need you! They need everyone who suspects child abuse to care!

Just remember, YOU could be a lifesaver for that child. YOU could rescue that child from years and years of pain and sadness, from feelings that they are no good, that no one loves them, feelings that they are to blame for the way they are, or have been treated.

It’s not the child’s fault, but an abused child doesn’t know that! So please! Please be one of the people who cares. Be the one to step forward and save that child. After all, it is a precious, innocent child who will be helped.

Should you decide to read my story and learn from it, there is no way to “sugarcoat” child abuse, therefore be prepared for strong adult language and explicit content because my life was a living Hell.

To learn more please head over to my website and read my books. Then tell others about my story so they too can learn, and hopefully, get involved when needed. Our children still suffering needs every single person to care, to get involved, to help change their lives of sorrow.

I want to take this opportunity to say thank you to everyone who has read my books and told others, and especially to the ones who have learned from my experiences and know they will not sit back while a child is being hurt, many times abused by people who claim to love them.

Bitter Memories: A Memoir Of Heartache & Survival. WARNING: **** CONTAINS SEXUAL CONTENT AND EXPLICIT LANGUAGE****

The other books in this series are: Drowning In Memories, Trophy Murders (for my fans who like a little crime fiction mixed with truth), and Cutter's Revenge that takes tragedy and turns it into an ending the way my fans and I wanted.

You can find all seven of my current books and the descriptions for each one on my website.

http://sj2448.wix.com/suejulsen

Coming tomorrow: After Midnight, #4 in the series, (which is also part two in Drowning In Memories will be available as a single on Amazon. I will add this book to the website as soon as I have time to get over there and set it up.