No one likes to feel bad and we are not meant to like it. And yet, there is purpose to all of your emotions. As you search for how to deal with events like school shootings and abuse, use the scope of emotions that arise within you to help you heal and understand.
There is a unique feeling of horror specific to the suffering of children. It’s not as if other tragedies are less horrifying – it’s that when it comes to young ones, our experience of their trauma is unmatched. In the wake of the seemingly endless tragedies involving our youth – shootings, fires, abuse and accidents – the horror of it all gets closer to home and heart. Having worked with abused children and teens for over 20 years, I’ve witnessed firsthand the devastation that takes place – to all lives involved.
Use all that you feel to heal.
So, how do they and we cope with what seems like broken hearts, minds, bodies and spirits? “How do I get past this?” is a question echoed by millions of people. There is no question that trauma is life altering. At the time – devastating, and afterwards – difficult to understand and heal from. The big question – WHY – more often than not goes unanswered.
The question that can be answered is “How”? How do I heal, when can I move forward, and will I ever be happy again? The answers to those questions are different for everyone. The solutions to those tragedies is unique to each individual, those experiencing the trauma first hand and those who bear witness. What’s important, and even vital, is to acknowledge all the thoughts and feelings that arise within you. As difficult and uncomfortable as it can be to witness sadness, devastation, grief, hopelessness, anger and hatred, not to mention feeling those emotions yourself, they have purpose.
Human beings are born with an exceptionally broad scope of emotions. All of those emotions are designed to support us, whether we like how they feel or not. Think of emotions like a rainbow, always showing up after a storm, magnifying the pathway to clearer and brighter skies ahead. This rainbow of emotions serves a purpose. Use them to heal, grow and move forward.