because your life has value, whether or not you can see
it,
because it was not your fault,
because you didn't choose to be battered and used,
because life itself is precious, because they were and
are wrong,
because you are connected to each and every other abuse
survivor, and so your daily battle automatically gives
others hope and strength.
because you will feel better, eventually,
because each time you confront despair you get stronger
.. you can't know now what you will ultimately be able to
do with this new morsel of strength, what future battles
you will be able to win,
because if you die today you will never again feel love
for another human being, or trust, or gratitude,
because you will never again see kindness and compassion
in another's eyes
because if you die today you will never again see
sunlight pouring through the leaves of a tree, or a bird
take flight, or feel the quality of light in winter,
because the seconds do not cease their passing, because
even if it feels like time has become an unbearably heavy
stone, it has not, and you only have to endure,
because you have already won .. you have known the
cleverness and resiliency and courage and stubborn will
to make it this far, and no one can take that away,
because the will to live is not a cruel punishment, even
if it feels like that at times: it is a priceless gift.
because your inner children need you, they have no one
else and their need is so great, and because they deserve
more than anyone to be healed and comforted, they are
true heroes against impossible odds.
because you owe your inner children, they are the reason
you are here. If you die today you will erase the meaning
of their suffering and incredible endurance, and that is
too great a loss,
because you already have the skills to find your healing
path, you have proven this over and over again,
because we need more warriors against this evil,
because we need survivors to offer testament against this
horror and despair,
because no one knows better than you the meaning of
suffering, and the agony deepens the heart,
because you deserve the peace that will come after the
battle is won, and it will be won, but only minute by
minute - we must learn to let go of the unconquerable,
because we can all come together in later years to laugh
in their faces,
because we will be able to show them that even though
they had all the power and strength and ruthless cunning,
even though we were only helpless, innocent dependent
children, we will have beaten them at the game they so
smugly thought they had mastered,
because I am furious that we have to suffer the pain of
another's evil and filth
because you too will one day feel fury,
because it is critical that you survive.
....by Mari Collings
A poster and card with this and beautiful artwork by Kore Loy
Wildrekinde/McWhirter can be ordered from SurvivorShip at: 3181
Mission #139
San Francisco, California 94110
A printable (black on white) version of this page can
be found here
