In last week’s column, I shared how touched I was to open up to the contractor who built Studio 505 (aka the building where I work) and receive such instantaneous support. Andrew not only did an amazing job accommodating my whims during the construction; he proved to be an affable, empathetic soul who ultimately became a friend.
When I left his house, I turned on NPR. In progress was an interview with someone who works at an international re-entry program for people who have been held captive/hostage. The woman being interviewed spoke about the challenges of returning to normal life after having endured such an ordeal. She spoke about not only the emotional challenges, but the practical ones, such as restoring one’s financial order.
The interviewer asked the guest if there was any chance of their clients returning to normal, and without missing a beat she said yes. She spoke about a client who’d put all the pieces in place to return to a normal life, but had continued to struggle with insomnia. She said the program got him in contact with another survivor. Though their situations differed greatly, both were survivors of this unimaginable circumstance. The two men spoke and processed their experiences and struggles together.
And that night, for the first time in months, the client with insomnia slept through the night. He was on the road to improvement, and the interviewee on this program said it was having had a chance to connect with someone who understands that made the difference.
This. This is why we do what we do. No one understands your struggles with estrangement like someone else going through it. Sometimes I witness magic in our groups, and it comes from that connection. It comes from you.
