ground control to rachel...earth to rachel...come in...over.

To Santa From My Son...fucking hilarious! MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

posted by Rachel @ 11:12 AM 8 Comments

Is Justice For All?

Is Justice For All?

Is justice for all? The answer to that question is No. There is, however, hope. I do know that there are human beings out there who will help because I experienced it myself. Now, I reach out on behalf of a friend. I am writing on behalf of a dear friend of mine who has given up in the face of the worst travesty that can slapped upon a father. After discovering his wife was involved in pornography, he tried to end the relationship and told her the children should not be with her but with him. She made the choice to use the system and lie to stop him. One phone call and his children were ripped from his life by a heartless and deceptive ex-wife who falsely accused him of spousal and child rape. None of the allegations were true yet he was sent to jail. Friends and family had to lobby to gather enough funds to make bail for him and once he was out of jail, the onslaught of legal fees became too much for him to realistically handle. He was advised to cop a plea and ended up being forced to plea to lesser charges, of which he was innocent.

It has been two years since my friend has been able to see his son and his daughter. He has secured a modest living and pays his child support every single month to children he doesn't even know are being cared for well, whether they are happy, or even where they are. He does not have the funds to hire attorneys or he would not be in this situation to begin with. I know that there are resources out there available to fathers who are fighting for their children. Fathers who are suffering. Fathers who want nothing more than to love and be a part of their children's lives. As a single mother who has suffered spousal abuse and who is active in the community working with various domestic violence shelters, I hear many stories. I have survived quite the story of my own. This one touched me so deeply that I feel compelled to pursue justice on his behalf. Once I have a solid lead for him to follow, I will turn it over to him but for now, I am writing everyone and anyone who will listen and who is able to lend a helping hand to a father who has been beaten down and deconstructed by a system that has failed him.

Given the nature of my history, it is ironic that I would be lobbying for a man who was accused of violence towards his wife and children. However, I know this man and I know that he did not commit these crimes. I know that with each day that goes by, the pain in his heart grows and the less his children remember of him. I implore you to please embrace him and help him in any way you can to gain his children back, clear his good name and help me right this wrong.

Very best and happy holidays,

Rachel Stephens

info@rachelstephensphotography.com
818.807.8417

posted by Rachel @ 9:36 AM 7 Comments

In the spirit of Christmas...

I am filled with the desire to give. The day to day worries of making ends meet and whether or not I am being the best possible mother/woman/friend/human being I can possibly be have miraculously quieted to a dull drone in the back of my mind and given way to a giddy child-like anticipation. I feel like I have acquired a gift for someone and I know they are going to love it and I cannot wait to give it to them, the anticipation killing me and the corners of my mouth cannot refrain from turning up at the thought of finally being able to see the reaction when the gift is received. Today I made several calls to local domestic violence shelters and sent several emails to directors of domestic violence programs and have set the ball rolling to fulfill my dream of giving back to those suffering what I have survived. No one can understand what it is like to lose yourself, your control, your identity, your power and worst of all, your love and belief in yourself, to another person. Their control an unwavering force keeping your prisoner in a place you are sure you will not survive. I survived. Others can too. If through my Sirens work, I can give ONE woman just enough self confidence to get her moving in the direction of survival, I will die a happy and fulfilled human being. Just the notion of this is filling me with such joy and reverance that I cannot adequately put it into words. I become overwhelmed with emotion. The words come and sometimes, even now, eight years later, I am struck with the realization of how serious and big what I have been through actually was. How big it is for so many women out there now. Right now. I was them. It hurts my heart that they are out there and I am so blessed and so incredibly lucky to be in a position to somehow have something to offer these women. I hope that I can reach them, at least one, just one and help her see her inner beauty, her inner strength, to show her another has come out okay and that she can too. This is what I am asking Santa for this year. This is the huge present I am wishing for.

Merry Christmas!

posted by Rachel @ 8:49 AM 5 Comments