Restart(s)….

Maria lived with her husband for over 15 years and had a son. The house was hers, paid for with her salary, and her grandparents paid for her son's schooling. Her partner worked, but the money was his. Maria didn't realize that she was supporting the house and the son. When he left, she started thinking about herself. She changed her lifestyle and spending habits and started a new life. She is happy, she is not in another relationship, and she knew how to look after herself.

Ana dated for 10 years, got married, had a child, had an apartment donated by relatives, her life was perfect. One day Ana realized that her husband was cheating on her.

A friend said: send him away.

A few months passed and they got back together because they had a son, but before that, there was a conversation. Ana changed and began to value herself as a person, her focus was no longer on her husband.

The focus became her and her son. 15 years later, they are still together.

Cristina got married, already had a house, two children were born, they both had jobs and everything seemed fine.

One day, Cristina realized that her savings were gone, her husband had been fired for having a drinking problem and the bad atmosphere at home was constant.

Cristina invited her husband to leave the house.

Once again, Cristina managed to turn things around, she thought about herself and her children.

Joaquina got married, had three children and lived in more than three European countries. Everything seemed to be going well. Her husband began to interfere in the life of her adult daughter, as there were cultural differences. Joaquina had to file a police report for domestic violence. A few years have passed and Joaquina has managed to balance her life and that of her children.

Isabel got married and raised three children. She stopped working because, according to her husband, it was cheaper for her to take care of the children at home than to work. But Isabel studied and got a degree. Although Isabel worked at home to take care of the children, she didn't even have enough money for a coffee. She decided to look for work, studied and got it. She had already done her job as a mother and decided to take care of her children and seek financial independence.

Maria, Ana, Cristina, Joaquina and Isabel had qualifications and degrees, they married young and dedicated their lives to their husband and children.

To overcome their pain and hurt, they needed time, to vent, to cry and a friendly shoulder to cry on to offer solutions.

Many times someone asked them: what kind of example do you want to be?

They were all certain: I deserve a better life, and they realized that they don't need someone who doesn't value them to be happy and successful.

These women's stories had a happy ending.

They all work and have not given up their financial independence. They had good family examples and were able to build a network that helped them get back on their feet and continue on their path. These women escaped domestic violence because they realized that their bond with their children was the most important bond in their lives.

These women exist and have turned things around. These women are my heroes.

In conclusion: The stories of these women are truly inspiring, they show how inner strength, financial independence and a support network can profoundly transform lives.