When people speak of or write about this news story, they almost always mention the fact that the three women undoubtedly suffered unspeakable horrors during the ten years they were held captive. It has been haunting me, thinking about what they, and the 6-year-old girl one of the women had while in captivity, might’ve endured. Today, I thought about the fact that an incredible number of people—good, decent, kind people, who will always outnumber the bad—know they suffered unspeakable horrors. We all allude to it in the looks we exchange with each other, in conversations, and in Facebook posts. Our sharing this horrible knowing links us, and I find that comforting. No one is alone—these women are not alone and we are not alone—we are all connected, both by our depressing thoughts and our caring and compassion. And every person the women encounter will likely show their sense of connectedness to them–it’ll be evident in their eyes and in their expressions and, I’m guessing, in a lot of tight, long hugs. These women will probably get spontaneous hugs from strangers for a long time. And that, at least, is a beautiful thing.
I have been so overwhelmed with thoughts about these young women. They are on the edge of every hour or so. As I move through my day and into the night I can’t stop wondering how they made it through the past 7-9 years. I am so intensely upset about how their everyday activities were controlled and tortured.
All of it haunts me, but particularly the pregnancies and miscarriages.