These poems and pictures celebrate professionals
who have chosen the journey of healing for themselves
and have chosen to aid others in their own healing journeys.
Thank you for all that you do.
Most of all, thank you for being you.
Kathleen Sullivan, LMSW
How many of us were warned by others
(as they crouched behind thick armor)
that if we do not use our own
as we work with the wounded,
we would be too vulnerable?
How many obediently donned
standard-issue suits of armor
but felt frustrated
and inept
because armor got in the way?
How many on some memorable day
or night
trusted our instincts
flung the heavy armor aside
then felt a spasm of terror because
we'd been too reckless?
How many closed our eyes
in that moment
and waited for the inevitable assault
and instead heard silence?
How many -
as we opened our eyes -
felt shock...amazement...
and finally relief
as we noticed
that the "dangerous"
gorilla
had become a hesitant fawn
that was watching us
with new curiosity
from a safe distance?
And how many of us realized
in that life-changing moment
that (of course!)
fawns will don
ferocious gorilla suits
to protect themselves
from suits of armor?
Professionals who specialize
in grief and trauma
know that their work can
drain and energize,
challenge and grow,
devastate and joy,
terrorize and strengthen,
isolate and connect,
and more.
much more.
always more.
If we are to succeed long-term
we must...must!
develop a fairly large
yet adaptable
simple-to-operate
toolbox of special skills.
We'll need standard tools:
Regular exercise
A good night's sleep
Physical vacations
And mental vacations
that help us to forget
the world's darker side.
And we must connect
with energizing people
who provide soul-nourishment
and we must connect
with discompassionate people
who help to ground us.
We need specialized tools
that cannot be taught or transferred.
They develop when life alerts us to
our need for them.
As we continue the journey
we may choose to grow
an elephant's big heart and ears
a willow tree's flexibility
a Sherpa's endurance
a child's focused patience
an
animal whisperer's compassion
a medical missionary's empathy
a wounded heart's forgiveness
a meditation master's acceptance
and
perhaps most essential, self-depreciation
(lest we over-estimate
our own importance)
The magic of such healing tools
is that they benefit both
the wounded
and the healer.
A
symphony
of woodland cicadas
fills the cooled night air
with their rhythmic chorus
For some listeners,
nature's gift of surround-sound
will rock them into
a deep and peaceful sleep
But others feel assailed by
the throbbing chorus
as hundreds of worries
join in a hellish attempt
to pull them down, down
into a shadowy lair
The same paradox occurs
when we minister
to the most wounded
and hear their cries
For some, the cries
remind us of hope
and a better tomorrow
For others, those same cries
clutch at us
and pull us down
into our own darkness
If we do not first
explore our own darkness
we may not be able
to help clients emerge from theirs
One wise healer warned
that we cannot remove a splinter
from
a wounded brother (or sister)
if we do not first remove
the log from our own eye
If the cries from our own dark place
grow so loud that they cloud our clarity,
we may need to find a place to sit
in stillness and reverence
and minister to our own darkness
As we approach the place
from which our silent cries emerge,
we may discover that
we'd been troubled
by the cries of others
because the truths of their cries
dwell in our own darkness
As we become familiar with
our darkness
our old terror may be replaced
by a deep love
for the velvety blackness
And as we explore
and fully discover ourselves
we will learn greater truths
about human existence
And as we learn
we grow
and the darkness will press
against us
while the world's light
will invite us to join it
We cannot remain
in our safe dark place
already, we have outgrown it
but it is safe
and dark and velvety
and we desire to stay
A new phase of growth begins
the final phase of soul-birthing
we know that - live or die -
it must happen
Like the cicada,
we will instinctively push ourselves
out, out from the familiar dark
of exclusive safety
As we emerge in a new state
of tender innocence,
we may notice
that our new emerging self
is who we had always sensed
we were meant to be
And some cool night
when we are surrounded
by the rhythmic chorus of a thousand voices
we can adopt their symphonic song,
brimming with love and life
vitality, power and joy
And we can join
the cicadas
as they sing
their new-life song:
Now I am more than I was before
now I am strong, now I am free
the long wait is over ...
I'm finally ME!
Like all creatures who emerge from shells,
we adapt to the lightness of living
as
we stumble and then run
towards the source of life
Free to be ourselves,
some of us may choose
to help others
as they struggle to emerge
from their own shells
We may feel saturated
with joy
as we watch
others transform
We may even gasp in awe
as their light-filled souls emerge
and our own souls
may burst into a silent song
of gratitude
We witness ...
we watch ...
we feel joy
in such moments
and we know
we are blessed.
Disclaimer
No part of the Healing Journey recovery website is to be used as a substitute for professional therapy. If you need professional support, please contact a qualified ministerial or mental health professional. Materials in this website may be printed or copied for personal use only. Readers are welcome to agree or disagree with any statements made in this website, and may benefit from sharing and discussing them with support persons.