she`s so skirt!

Diana Perez Smiley believes in the sanctity of marriage.

Fourteen years ago, Diana was beaten almost to death by a skateboard and sprayed with charcoal fluid. It wasn’t the first time her husband had attacked her. “Marriage is a very sacred vow. It takes a great deal of commitment and sacrifice,” says Diana. But she wasn’t willing to sacrifice her life—or her nine month year old daughter’s. She sought support at Hubbard House, where she now works with domestic violence victims, winning the Child Advocate of the Year Award in 1999. She believes that a goddess’s defining trait is compassion for others and oneself, and identifies with Hera, the protector of marriage. Women advised Diana to take time for herself after she left her abuser. “It’s never too late to have a woman say to you, ‘you need to be good to yourself.’ That’s sometimes all it takes to put a woman on the road to freedom.”