On We “March”

It’s February 28, 2010 and that means beginning tomorrow, it will be March.

“March”-What a perfect name. Really we cannot help but to “March” forward in time and as February disappears there is a small whisper of relief that puffs off the lips of many. The “Ah” that is heard perhaps standing in lieu of uttering the words; “Good, winter is passing,” too soon.

As the minutes tick forward I am aware of the hours left. In California it is 10PM and really it is a matter of 2 hours. Only for me and thousands of others, the end of February marks something altogether different.

February 2010, was for the people standing on the frontlines of the awareness campaign focused on Teen Dating Violence, a historical month as it was declared Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month.

“This year the Justice Department worked with the Senate to designate the entire month of February as “National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month.””¹

With the arrival of March I feel compelled to say, awareness and prevention must be on-going. The month may be over but the need to reach our daughters, sons, parents, family members, educators, and friends is far from over.

I am reminded that just this past week I spoke before 40 students and all 40 of them completed their feedback forms. Of those, 37 wrote personal messages to me, each a piece straight from their own life experience. From boyfriends, to friends, to cousins, to mothers, all real-life stories about abuse in their lives. Each one of these hand written notes more than underscore the need for providing information to young people, information that will empower them; information that may serve to save a life.

As the month of March arrives, please, for all those young people, continue to bring awareness to your community about Teen Dating Violence. Silence is not a strategy, speak up, and speak out against violence.

¹ United States Department of Justice http://www.ovw.usdoj.gov/