# @heidijoyful on Instagram

- **Type:** Video
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DF5WVN4pcef
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/68230915-heidijoyful-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/0f86d6fbda.jpg
- **Posted:** 2025-02-10T14:43:59.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Heidi | mama & lifestyle content creator (@heidijoyful) — https://gondola.cc/heidijoyful

## Caption

I’d love to talk to my older self too, but I think I’ll be alright. This is the start to true happiness. No more being controlled, abused, taken advantage of, lied to, gaslit, used, manipulated, heartbroken, disappointed, sad, and torn down from the core of who I am. 

As tough as it was, and as tough as it is…I ultimately did it for my kids. It’s not easy being a single mom of 3 kids, but I did it for a year with a newborn, solo parenting while being the caretaker, driver, cook, housecleaner, and everything that comes with being a mom. 

If you are a victim of domestic abuse, don’t be afraid to get help. If you win your case, your attorney fees are covered by the other party (in California Family Code 6344). In some cases, you can represent yourself like I did. I ended up having to hire an attorney and my trial went on for 7 months, which is unheard of, because DVROs are an emergency situations that need to be handled within a month. But our judge was fair. He gave them every chance to speak up for himself so they wouldn’t say they didn’t get to say this or that. I was granted 100% custody of the kids. 

For help: thehotline.org for resources, to chat or call if you can in privacy. They helped give me the strength and knowledge to realize it was worse than I thought. When you’re in it for so long, you don’t know how bad it is. There’s always options. Be strong ladies! 

It’s not over, but I have faith that justice will prevail. He may have taken all he can but materialistic things come and go, and are not important. The kids and my mental health and well-being is what matters. 

#youngerself #coffeewithmyyoungerself #domesticviolenceawareness #domesticviolencesurvivor #formykids #iamstrong #weareloved

## Stats

- **Views:** 13,208
- **Likes:** 1,049
- **Shares:** 0
- **Comments:** 69

## Tags

coffeewithmyyoungerself, formykids, domesticviolencesurvivor, iamstrong, domesticviolenceawareness, youngerself, weareloved

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