First, a link to the Crash Course video that inspired this. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=343ORgL3kIc)

There are two equally stupid points of view on trauma: one wallows in miserability and says that once someone's heart and soul is broken, it is broken forever, that happy people are just too stupid or too lucky to know just how much life sucks and the other one comes in the form of cheap "inspirational" memes on Facebook and says that what doesn't kill you makes you stronger and that you should just shake off whatever trauma you have.

Then, there is what psychologists call post-traumatic growth. It takes time. It takes coping skills, sometimes therapy, awesome friends and a change of ideas to re-learn that life and people can be beautiful, but it is possible.

It exists. I am not giving you a map, I am not giving you a time frame because there is no magic path that works for everyone but it exists.

As I am writing this, I am listening to a Quebec talk show (Tout l'Monde en Parle!) and they are talking about two high-profile entertainers who are caught in a sexual harassment scandal in the wake of the Weinstein case and even though it was not planned, I want to tell everyone, man or woman, who typed #MeToo (cause I did, too!) that there is hope.

I am not telling you to shut up and forgive...or that you will ever forgive but there are ways to heal, and there will be plenty of people out there who will help you heal in their own way.

(((hugz)))