Sunday, December 11, 2011

Learning from Other Women

Today I was able to share what I know with another woman.  I could say to her,  "I know how you feel". I could say to her "I have felt those feelings, I know what that is like".  It was empowering to be able to share what I know and look back on even recent misery and to assure her that it is possible to not only survive but to overcome.

There were many moments that seemed impossibly floundering to me.  When I was treading water and saying prayers while trying to battle desperation.  It's what hopelessness feels like.  I know that crummy soupy place where hope is lost, just gone.

I don't know why we are subject to such moments but I know we all have them.  My survival has depended on my connection to humanity and to understanding, really understanding, we are one.  Maybe that's empathy, or maybe it's really embracing humility.  Without one another we really are living in desperation. I lost a dear friend to that darkness this past summer.  We shared a laugh just days before she lost her connection to others and I mourn her.  She stood at the edge of the abyss, and took a step forward.

Through our connections to others we can take a step away from the edge.  I am fortunate to have done this, but I didn't do it alone.  When I really looked around me I was surrounded by others collected over a lifetime.  I am not alone, I am not abandoned. You are not alone. You are not abandoned.

 I can help someone.  I am grateful for this life.


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