Grace, this moved me because you hold joy here as something deeply earned, not shallow or accidental. The contrast between tears once shaped by despair and tears now shaped by awe gives this reflection unusual tenderness, because it honors how healing can slowly become visible in places that once only carried survival. I also loved how the children and even the volunteers becoming “little boys” again reinforced your deeper point: play, wonder, and the inner child are not lost, only often buried beneath pressure, fear, and adulthood. Thank you for writing with such honesty, hope, and lived grace; this feels like both testimony and invitation.
Wow Rev. Kevin, thanks for your detailed response. So glad my words resonated on such a deep level... Yes, awe of life and a tenderness for daily healing (when nobodys looking) make my dream life now just an absolute delight where tears happen daily from a state of pure gratitude!!!!! Glad you enjoyed the story of the men turning to young boys again... We all gotta BE our inner child's daily, not just "heal" after a session lol!
Grace, “a tenderness for daily healing” is a beautiful way to name it. What came through in your writing was how gratitude, awe, and joy can become deeply lived rather than occasional emotion, especially after harder seasons have taught their own lessons. And yes, that image of grown men becoming little boys again carried such warmth; thank you for writing with a kind of joy that feels both earned and contagious.
I love reading your work! I was in treatment 2 years ago, and I can relate to how it is such a rock bottom (and funnily enough it was also the place where I reconnected with that inner child). I absolutely love to read how you've found so much peace and gratitude in your life nowadays, how amazing!!! It truly is a joy to read. Thanks for sharing.
You are so good as usual! Thank you, Grace!!
🥹🥰your kind words mean everything! Thanks Mahmoud
Grace, this moved me because you hold joy here as something deeply earned, not shallow or accidental. The contrast between tears once shaped by despair and tears now shaped by awe gives this reflection unusual tenderness, because it honors how healing can slowly become visible in places that once only carried survival. I also loved how the children and even the volunteers becoming “little boys” again reinforced your deeper point: play, wonder, and the inner child are not lost, only often buried beneath pressure, fear, and adulthood. Thank you for writing with such honesty, hope, and lived grace; this feels like both testimony and invitation.
Wow Rev. Kevin, thanks for your detailed response. So glad my words resonated on such a deep level... Yes, awe of life and a tenderness for daily healing (when nobodys looking) make my dream life now just an absolute delight where tears happen daily from a state of pure gratitude!!!!! Glad you enjoyed the story of the men turning to young boys again... We all gotta BE our inner child's daily, not just "heal" after a session lol!
Grace, “a tenderness for daily healing” is a beautiful way to name it. What came through in your writing was how gratitude, awe, and joy can become deeply lived rather than occasional emotion, especially after harder seasons have taught their own lessons. And yes, that image of grown men becoming little boys again carried such warmth; thank you for writing with a kind of joy that feels both earned and contagious.
I love reading your work! I was in treatment 2 years ago, and I can relate to how it is such a rock bottom (and funnily enough it was also the place where I reconnected with that inner child). I absolutely love to read how you've found so much peace and gratitude in your life nowadays, how amazing!!! It truly is a joy to read. Thanks for sharing.