I’m Grateful for my Neighbor via /r/gratitude

I’m currently trying to untangle myself from an abusive relationship and it’s a messy situation. I’m having to walk a very thin line between being terrified of him and trying to leave. Im not doing a good job with my boundaries and find it difficult to be honest with him because of his temper. He absolutely will throw all of my belongings in the street if I upset him enough. He’s done it before in past relationships and has spoken about it with pride.

Being in this relationship has consumed me and turned me into someone I don’t recognize. It’s amazing what 10 years of systemic instability and emotional volatility will do to a person.

The situation escalated when I told him that I no longer wanted to see him and I needed to call the police. Since then, I’m staying with my neighbor until I can figure something out. I’m living in limbo going back and forth between here and home until I can find my own place and cut ties.

All that being said, the only thing I can think about is the INSANE amount of gratitude I have for my neighbor. I have my own room with a patio and an attached bathroom that’s on a different floor than her and her family. I have privacy and a door I can lock. I feel safe for the first time in a decade and am granted the space to process what I’ve been through. Im so grateful for her and her family’s hospitality.

I struggle with complex chronic illnesses and am a complicated medical patient. My neighbor is an ICU nurse and is letting me stay here for free until I’m healthier and have a solid plan. It might feel weird and a bit awkward living in someone else’s home, but I honestly couldn’t have asked for a better situation given the circumstances. I have so much gratitude.