So I'm at the gym, with my NeYo in my ear telling me how he's so sick of love songs that I'm nudged to think about what happened to me recently. My ex... hit me.

In my face. Knocking my hearing out of my right ear for almost two weeks.

I've never been hit before by a man. Being married to my childhood sweetheart most of my life, I was lucky. Then, I lost him to tragedy almost 8 yrs ago. So I had to be tossed in the dating world... I've learned a lot thru my experiences but the profound one was being hit in my face and knocked to the floor.

I immediately was done. Unlike NeYo... I'm not sick of listening to love songs. I'm thankful for them. They remind me of lessons learned. Wake up calls. And, hope that someone who deserves me has the opportunity to find me.

Moral of story... don't let anyone hurt you. Physically. Mentally. Emotionally. They don't love themselves and could never love you. Leave as soon as possible and grieve the loss... it may hurt and take time but leave. Get help if you have to.

Be a Love Song. Listen to the sound of your beating heart, the whisper of your breath.... the voice of God.

I had to become deaf to hear clearly. Not just with this experience but everything else at that time that was going on.

My hearing is back and I now know how to become deaf to listen. Sometimes you have to take the punches of the world. When you are knocked down... listen... think... prepare... MOVE.