I WORKED WITH A GROUP OF WOMEN.
UNFORMED AND WITHOUT SHAPE, THEY WERE.
THEY WERE YOUNG.
THEY WERE BRIGHT.
MANY WERE MARRIED.
A FEW WERE SINGLE.
THOUGH TALENTED, SOME COULD NOT
SEE.
SOME COULD NOT HEAR.
ALL WERE SHY AND FRIGHTENED.I WANTED TO HELP THESE YOUNG WOMEN
GROW.
I KNEW THEY HAD NEVER EXPERIENCED
REAL FREEDOM.
I KNEW THEY HAVE NEVER KNOW REAL
LOVE.
THEY WERE YOUNG NURSES WITH A DARK
HISTORY OF PERSONAL AND SOCIETAL
OPPRESSION.
TO HELP THEM GROW, I SENT THEM IN
SEARCH OF THEMSELVES.
THOUGH SAD IT MADE ME, I HEARD THE
YOUNG WOMEN SAY THEY NEVER KNEW THEY
HAD A SELF UNIQUELY THEIR OWN.
THEY HAD BEEN TAUGHT AND HAD ALWAYS
THOUGHT THEY WERE EXTENSIONS OF OTHERS.
WANTING TO BE HONEST, ONE WOMAN BRAVELY
ADMITTED SHE WAS FRIGHTENED AT THE MERE
IDEA OF BECOMING SELF-SUFFICIENT.
HAVING ADMITTED SHE HAD NO SELF, BECOMING
SELF-SUFFICIENT IN HER MIND MEANT SHE WOULD
BECOME NOTHING AT ALL.
SHE COULD NOT STAND THE THOUGHT OF BEING
HERSELF ALONE.
MY HEART DID BLEED INSIDE AS I GAZED UPON
THE TENSE YOUNG FACES BEFORE ME.
I LOVED THE THOUGH OF WHAT THEY HAD NOT
YET BECOME.
THOUGH THEY DID NOT KNOW IT, THEY WERE
GETTING ON THE ROAD TOWARD GROWING.
MY PATH WOULD NOT BE THEIRS.
MY MAPS THEY COULD NOT USE.
THEY MUST FIND THEIR OWN WAY.
I MUST NOT HELP THEM TOO MUCH.
THEIR DIRECTIONS MUST BE THEIR
VERY OWN.
GROWING IS A WRINGING OF ONE'S OWN HANDS.
GROWING IS AN EXAMINATION OF ONE'S OWN
WRINKLES.
GROWING IS A WREATHING IN ONE'S OWN
PAIN.
GROWING REQUIRES THE USE OF BIG WRENCHES,
TINY POCKETKNIVES, AND OTHER TOOLS.
NUTS AND BOLTS AND RUSTY SCREWS MUST BE
DISLODGE FROM BRAIN, FROM MIND, IN BODY,
IN SOUL.
FOR GROWTH TO COME, THESE YOUNG WOMEN WOULD
SUFFER.
THEY WOULD BE AFRAID TIME AND TIME AGAIN.
THEY WOULD CRY OUT WITH FEAR, WITH ANXIETY.
THEY WOULD RUN FROM THEMSELVES SEEKING OUT
OTHERS TO LEAN UPON.
ANGER THEY WOULD FEEL.
WEEPING FOR THEM WOULD BECOME COMMONPLACE.
TEARS OF JOY, TEARS OF SORROW THEY WOULD
SHED IF GROWTH THEY EMBRACED.
WOULD THESE YOUNG WOMEN ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY
FOR SELF ALONE?
WOULD THEY GROW IN NEW DIRECTIONS GIVING UP
OLD DEPENDENCIES?
WOULD THEY CHOOSE TO CLING TO THE TRIED, TO
THE COMFORTABLE?
HOW FAR WOULD THEIR STRENGTH AND POTENTIAL
TAKE THEM?
ONLY GOD KNEW, NOT I.
THE SEEDS OF GROWTH CAN ONLY RISE FROM A
SPIRIT THAT TRANSCENDS HUMAN STRIFE. |
