Wounded Healers

Listening With Our Wounds
"To enter into solidarity with a suffering person does not mean that we have to talk with that person about our own suffering. Speaking about our own pain is seldom helpful for someone who is in pain. A wounded healer is someone who can listen to a person in pain without having to speak about his or her own wounds. When we have lived through a painful depression, we can listen with great attentiveness and love to a depressed friend without mentioning our experience. Mostly it is better not to direct a suffering person's attention to ourselves. We have to trust that our own bandaged wounds will allow us to listen to others with our whole beings. That is healing."  Henri Nouwen

That Henri Nouwen had a lot to say about the human condition.  I suppose we all need a wounded healer as a listener now and then and sometimes on a daily basis for a spell.  I am not indicating that I need a listener just at the moment; only recalling when I could have used one.  I think about others that need this sort of listener.  My brother in law at the moment is suffering the wrath of Guillian-Barre' Syndrome.  What a wicked disease.

Our trip to the Black Hills to my maternal family reunion was balm to my soul, as I so seldom see my own relatives.  I took my three year project to give away in the "Proof Copy" state in which I still am at the moment.  So swallowing my pride, with my humble hat in hand, I gifted 80 copies to the relatives of my "Aunt Liz."  During the period of research, editing, writing, scanning in photos, and thinking on those brave immigrants, I fell in love with all of them once more.  I say all, as Aunt Elizabeth was my Grandmother's sister and one of 12 children of their parents who immigrated from Finland at the ages of 19 and 15.

I will work again on proof reading.  He Who Must Be Obeyed is an excellent proof reader and he indicated he will read it a few times, also.  Then I will send a couple of copies and request a copyright and cataloging  from the Library of Congress.  I am not certain if it would have a wide enough audience to seek a 'real' publisher or not.  Perhaps I will querry the SD State Historical Society to see if they might be interested.

It is good to be back here again.  Thanks to you dear readers who have checked to see if I am back online.