To Mrs. Rice,

I do not know you.  You do not know me.  And quite frankly I do not expect you to ever read this letter.  But I will write it for posterity sake.

Yes, what you are going through is a nightmare.

On the off-chance this letter makes it to you… please know that there are a lot of women praying for you.  There are a lot of us who understand the life you live in.  We may not understand the fame and the fashion and the wads of money you are rolling in… but we know the fear you live in when he hits you.

We know the fear you face when you see the rage in his eyes.

We know the pain you feel because of the bruises.

We know the hurt your heart feels for the weeks following…

We know what you are going through.

You are not alone.

 

But I have to go on record and say this…

The media didn’t end your husband’s career. Your husband ended your husband’s career.

I once made excuses for my (first) husband, the one who controlled my every move and belittled me non-stop.

I once defended the man who played with my mind… while he was not physically abusive he was abusive in other ways.

I once made excuses for the man I thought I loved and yet was treating me so poorly that I was experiencing panic attacks on a day-to-day basis.

 

And then I changed my focus, turned and spoke HIS name…

Please understand when I say this… speak our Lord’s name and He will keep you from harm.

That’s all you have to do… in the mean time, we’re praying for you.

You are not alone.