Peace and Healing

I am a hospital advocate for victims of sexual assault. I'm usually on call from 5pm til 8:30am, twice a month. Recently I got a call for an under aged victim. Early mid teens. Very cool kid. Very strong and very eclectic. I forget how open teenagers can be. How resilient they are. How awesome they can be. Tonight was a good reminder. This kid was smart, beautiful inside and out and knew what they wanted in life. And in the midst of tears and pain and heartbreak, this kid could still smile, could still laugh and could still see a future. This kid was already surviving. There was a kind of peace that came with knowing the worst was over.
I asked a friend tonight, how he found peace when all there's been is turmoil? What he told me sounded like something he'd say but it also rang true even though I can't remember what he said. I will have to ask him again. He always seems happy and peaceful. So I wondered, will this child ever know peace again? Know joy? Know love and accept love? The real kind, the good kind. What I saw in this kid made me say yes to that question. And I was grateful that's what I saw. I was grateful that this kid had the support system needed to get through this awful time. My hope is that the healing comes easily and quickly. Not as likely as I make it sound, but I hope this one doesn't get stuck in the sadness and anger of it. I was given the biggest, tightest, most authentic and surprising hug before I left and it was all I could do not to cry as well. This is my one I think. This one I will dream about and pray for most often and personally. Yes I pray for them all and wish and hope the best for them all. But I think this is my one. We will more than likely never see each other again but we will remember each other. We will remember that even when you hurt there is still a place for laughter. Joy is there too. Love is there as well.
This run was hard, but I know I will do it for as long as I can and as long as my heart doesn't shatter into a million peaces. This one just about did me in, but this child's strength gave me strength. And a peace I hadn't been feeling about what I was doing and why. Good stuff. So thank you to this child for showing me the joy they still have. That wasn't stolen completely. Good stuff.

Namaste