This Happened to Me
How I Ran Away From My Family, Pt 2
And discovered how to heal with my inner child
“The soul is the part of you that cries out when you are abused. The spiritual wound is this toxic shame. Abuse is bonding and bonds you to the abuser.” — John Bradshaw
Part Two of Bradshaw’s weekend workshop was very intense but also very uplifting. If you missed the First Part, here’s the link:
The following song was written and composed by Richard Wagner to accompany Bradshaw with his PBS series: Homecoming. The weekend workshop felt like an extension of that series. It was a place to focus on healing our wounded inner child.
There are no words to describe the depth of sadness this song evokes for me as I remember not only my own abuse but all the children who have been abused and continue to be hurt.
The lyrics are listed below in the description. I cannot listen without crying. Please listen and let me know what you think.
Bradshaw began the workshop and discussed our primal wounds that first appeared with our family of origin. I loved hearing Bradshaw talk because his words seemed to intuitively understand all the questions that had developed inside me. He spoke for a while and then we broke into small groups.
Within these groups, we were mentored through exercises about healing our inner child. One particular exercise was about welcoming your child to the world. The exercise was both poignant and uplifting.
Bradshaw had each person take a turn sitting in the middle of their group. Then he instructed everyone to say the words that sent shivers down my spine. I could feel the tears threatening to pour out in a waterfall. I took deep breaths but could not stop the tears.
Bradshaw said, “Welcome to the world, Debbie. I’m so glad you’re here.”
He instructed everyone to repeat the words of welcome. Next Bradshaw added more words for everyone to echo and repeat.
“Welcome to the world, Debbie. I promise to love you and keep you safe.”
My heart missed a beat when I heard those words. I know Hubby had told me that before but somehow today was different. Those words resonated within every fiber of my being. I had never felt so alive!
Those were many other positive affirmations that John employed.
“I love you just the way you are. You can feel what you feel. It’s okay. I won’t leave you no matter how much you cry.”
I was sobbing now. I had never felt so accepted and safe before.
It can be challenging to explain how many emotions were evoked during the various exercises but trust me, it was very powerful. A remarkable weekend of revelation. The first day was exhausting yet we were excited and looking forward to the following day.
Positive affirmations can teach us how to change our thinking. Have you ever tried any variations of this method? How did it work out for you? Do you think you would have liked this workshop? Please let me know in the comments.
Stay tuned for Part Three. Another amazing day. Coming to your mailbox soon!
