06/29/2025
Important read.
She had tears in her eyes. It had been a particularly hard day—one of those days where the suffering felt heavier than usual. This is her first year working with us, and she asked the question we all ask at some point: “How do you deal with the emotional toll?”
The truth is, in order to help the ones who need us most, we have to go to them. We have to meet them in their darkest moments, witness their pain, and walk through it with them. Only then can we offer the hope of healing.
It takes a toll. Of course it does. That’s why having a circle of people who understand and support you is essential. You need good people you can lean on when the weight gets too heavy.
This morning I worked on a young gosling who was found tangled in fishing line. The line cut deeply into his leg, leaving it painfully swollen. I used gentle massage to help restore circulation and reduce his swelling—but more than that, I’m reminding him that someone cares. That someone is willing to be right there with him, even when it hurts to look at. Even when it’s uncomfortable…
We all need someone in our lives that’s willing to sit with us through the hard times - to see us through to the other side. To be our witness, even when it isn’t pleasant.
When they do make it through the darkness, the pain and the discomfort - it makes it worth all the effort and all the heartache. That’s why we do it over and over again. We simply can’t sit idly by and allow it. Our hearts will risk breaking if only to offer a chance of healing…
