These are not just words

This morning a participant came into the Clerk of Courts office to file an injunction for protection. I am not bilingual so another Shelter advocate helped translate the incident statement from Spanish to English for the Judge to read. A Shelter volunteer then translated over the phone the swearing in for the deputy clerk and then relayed the news that the participant’s temporary injunction had been granted! I was thankful for such a great team effort and that we were able to help the participant get this done so quickly considering the time sensitivity!

What happened next really touched my heart. While assisting the participant with the forms on the computer, she glanced up at the wall where I display the materials/flyers/safety plans, etc. She stood up and pointed to the cover of the Spanish “These are not just words” brochure. “He say to me,” she told me with a bit of surprise in her voice. I grabbed the English version and translated the phrase in my mind – “I love you, you can’t leave me.”

Now, mind you, I have read these brochures a million times, but the realization of her response made my heart drop. Her eyes darted to the next phrase and nodded her head, “yes.” I read again silently – “If I can’t have you, no one will.”

It was gut wrenching. She placed her finger on the last phrase and left it there – “It’s not over until I say it’s over.” In that moment, it was like she was no longer alone; like the brochure had spoken to her and she wasn’t the only one who heard these awful words. It was like someone finally understood. I looked at her nodded and gave her a kind smile. And we connected.