Loving the Wounded Child

Today I send love
to the wounded child within me.
I give her a tight embrace
and tell her that everything
will be alright.

I comfort her
with whispered tales
of my adventures
as she sits upon my lap.
Her eyes close as she pictures
these places in her mind.
Her ear rests against
the beat of my heart;
a rhythm that assures her
that I still live for her.
A beat that assures her
that I have found a way
to carry the burdens this far;
that her horror stories
did not mark the end.

My wild journey,
I assure her,
was only this wild
because of the past
she so bravely survived.
The hard times
and good times
have since become one;
neither could have existed
without the other.
For I would not have been
spurred to travel
had I not suffered,
had I not experienced
such powerlessness.

So today,
I send love
to the wounded child within me
for being so courageous.
I bless her wounds and her scars.
I bless her tenacity,
her fortitude, and moxie.
I bless my soul for choosing this life
knowing the pain
it would have to endure
before being able to bring
comfort and solace to others,
for this was a divine choice
and I take this time to honor it.

Today I acknowledge
that despite surviving
very real traumas,
I have truly won
many lotteries in this lifetime.

Each of my surviving siblings
got adopted into safe and loving homes,
and though we were split,
we were able to see each other often.
I have had amazing friendships.
I had the inner strength
to ignore the doubts of others
and instead make my own slow way
to success after success.

The pain of the past
became a motivator
for travel and volunteer work;
I continually threw myself
into something bigger than myself
so I could make what difference I could.
So I could alleviate the suffering of others
with my love and compassion.
Today I send love to and thank
the wounded child within
for her resilience and strength,
for her courage and steel will
to defy the odds.