Shedding Tears for Elizabeth Smart: Now Engaged.

By the Grace of God? Now Elizabeth Smart is engaged.  Did you shed tears as you followed the unspeakable ordeal she endured? When I first mentioned her in this blog, it sweemed there was a spate of kidnappings in the news. Young children ripped from their families into a world of torture. How would they ever recover? What of the ones never found? The unimaginable pain and unending prayers of families who still wait; (my guess is, almost hoping their child is in the arms of angels rather than living a life in evil's hands...)

elizabeth smart engaged photo story here

Redux.
There is healing, and moving on for some.
As you watch the video below, ponder
how over the years, as you have heard of various horror crimes, in particular those involving kidnapping and torture of children--
how much you wanted to know
that if ever a child was found, was saved--that she would be whole again, that s/he would be healed. Stronger than ever. That s/he would not be permanently wounded.

Elizabeth Smart, taken at age 14 at knifepoint from her bedroom, gave us some comfort
as she shared
factually, simply, graciously
with great insight and humble wisdom
her Moving On
and her confrontation with the criminal...

She has started a foundation--" I think one of the biggest ways to overcome any trial in life, to heal from any any kind of experience is by helping those around you --because by lifting those around you up
 you end up lifting yourself up as well..."
 here is the video
This is actually the moment many of us have waited for many times, for those we will never meet, for those we have prayed for. This is what by Grace we hope the recovery from monsters looks like.

Trauma is normal for healthy people after being betrayed and internally battered. It is not normal to hurt another person.

If you are on a rollercoaster of depression, happiness, normality, freaked-out-ness, anger, hatred, love, anger, sadness, confusion, ok ness, anger, withdrawal, peace, fear--
and that is in the first 10 minutes of the day--
You Are Normal. It means you are a normal intelligent competent person reacting to trauma.
As you continue to heal, you will become Strong at the Broken Place- like a bone does after trauma.

I am going to expand this thought later this week. In the meantime, look at these.

http://www.hopeforhealing.org/

 http://nineyearslater9.blogspot.com/2011/12/self-understanding-101-introduction.html

If you hurt people, force, steal, rape, charm, trick, lie--please read this HERE

Healing from a Sexual Assault: April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month

I am always touched by the courage and grace, the generosity and selflessness shown by women and men as they move through the healing process after a sexual assault.

If you have not endured such a travesty, this weird trauma that many think should not be so traumatizing, this ubiquitous crime that many think is mostly falsely reported- (!) --consider:

Yourself, walking into the Police Station.
Um, ...
I have something to report.
YES? What is it?

Consider walking into your house one evening.

Honey, I have something to tell you...

Consider the possiblity that people won't believe you. That is a common fear.
Consider the pain
 you will inflict on your parent/spouse/friend/sister/brother.

Maybe it is easier not to report it.

Do you know that men and women, friends and family come here for help in dealing with the sadness, anger and rage, anxiety and depression they are going through because of the sexual assault of a loved one?

Sometimes their trauma lasts longer than the crime victim's.
Do you know what some women and some men do as they walk away from the rapist?
Wanting only to get away, get safe, hide, no more no more..

Please, if you have a friend or loved one going through trauma, carrying heavy baggage, let them know you are there to listen. Listen, Believe, Respect, Refer.

Check out these sites:

http://www.k-state.edu/womenscenter/documents/Aspectspage.htm

http://www.oneinfourusa.org/

http://www.rainn.org/

men's page

http://www.k-state.edu/womenscenter/Violencework%20Advocacy/Womens%20Center%20Materials/Materials/other_related_sites.htm

Help them find a place to shed the baggage.

Thanks.