his chest everywhere when she was
little, and she spelled his name aloud,
she's held onto is slowly slipping
away -- her children are growing up,
her beloved grandmother recently
died and her divorce is final -- she
is flailing, reaching for something
tangible to cling to. She is suffering
from mental anguish and recovering
from domestic abuse.
can become more serious. Without
help, girls who witness domestic
adults. Without help, boys who witness
domestic violence are far more likely
to become abusers of their partners
and/or children as adults."
have offered my daughter advice and
counseling. Her pain is deep. To ease
her anguish she could reach for
medication or alcohol, but instead
she is reaching into her past for the
pleasant childhood warm fuzzy that
she clutched when times got rough
and Sunday school was enough.
help, for answers. I remember her
delicate newborn hands, her tiny
fingers wrapped securely around
her daddy's index finger as we
drove her home from the hospital.
Her toddler hands clutching her
pacifier. Her little girl hands
off to Kindergarten and clinging
Woman lunch box, achievement
awards and diplomas. She folded
pendent. I envision her adult hands
the result of operating a computer
and cash register for 16 years.
premature babies and to hold her
grandmother's hand at the end of
her life. Her hands now stretch a
dollar to make ends meet. By day,
she's a nanny. Her hands wipe snotty
noses, dirty bottoms, toddler faces...
and late at night, her own tears.
has had to deal with so many trials
and tribulations. She is seeking
answers that lie in God's word. Deep
in her heart she believes. She just
needs to reconnect -- with God and
Henry. If holding onto Henry makes
her life more bearable, I hope she
finds him soon. Wrapping her arms
around that old stuffed animal will
be exactly like Jesus wrapping his
arms around her, and I know she'll
draw closer to Him and begin to heal.
and our lives are spinning out of
emotional comfort level and curl into
a fetal pose, internally and externally.
and trust. It takes time.
or typing on a keyboard, I also imagine
the unseen loving hand of God reach-
ing to wipe her tears, to heal her
aching heart.
my daughter what she needs at this
time: strength, courage, peace, rest,
and above all, trust in You. If You
can't send Henry, then an angel to
calm and soothe her will do. In
reserved especially for Henry. Oh, she knows she'll never find her
yearns for, when she felt completely safe, secure and protected.