I heard a story recently that was a reminder of how what others do to us can harm us and how important it is to talk about what happened. And that from pain comes hope, and more.
This story dates back to WWII. When it was evident that the Germans were going to lose the war, they began to take out their frustration and fear on the women of the countries they occupied. The women did everything they could to protect themselves including staying in at night, covering themselves in filth and trying to appear to be old and decrepit rather than young and desirable.
This woman’s story is told to her daughter who was a result of these rapes. She is very close to her daughter and the love between them is evident. What she went through was unbelievable to most of us. The fact that she lived and suffered with it mostly in secret for 60 years, even more heartbreaking. The fact that from this tragedy she received a beautiful gift in the life of her daughter is a beautiful ray of hope.
You can hear her story on the CBC podcast of The Current under the story Rape of Berlin – Sigrun’s Story . You will need to scroll down the page partway to get to this story. It is the second story on the page.
Be prepared with tissues and be willing to see the hope, life and joy that eventually revealed itself as her life continued. It’s a great reminder of how we all go through our own personal struggles, tragedies and pain and that there is always the chance for something unexpected on the other side.
Love to you all.