Wounded Warrior

We are all broken and scarred aren't we? Everyone of us carries wounds....and nobody is truly spared from experiencing some kind of heartbreak, loss, tragedy or more. Some have so many scars, that they are warriors who have been through too much to speak of.  Others have hidden scars, on the inside....protected by many layers of facades and defenses. All of us are warriors because we survive. The  less resilient warriors create all kinds of armour and often try to control everything around them because they feel so out of control within. Those wounded warriors blame others for their pain and their wounds always remain unhealed. This only continues to make them feel powerless and it becomes a vicious cycle. The more resilient warriors transform their pain into compassion and they take their power back by using their compassion to help others. The resilient warriors have scars that may be in various stages of healing but they honor their wounds by feeling them and understanding that those wounds just need a lot of tender care. Other wounded warriors manage their pain in other ways by walling themselves off from the possibility of love. I would love to say that healing means that our wounds disappear. They don't. Tonight, my wounds were triggered unexpectedly and much to my surprise, I cried on and off for hours. I'm a resilient warrior but every once in awhile if those scars are touched just right...the wounds reopen, reminding me that healing is truly a journey that takes a lifetime. I didn't stop the tears as they flowed, I just honored my pain. I have a choice, I can remain a compassionate wounded warrior or I can don that old armour I use to wear. I carry a shield which protects me but I refuse to wear the armour again. We've all walked different paths but pain is a given and instead of hiding the wounds, we should truly honor where we've been, much like the tribal warriors would dance a ceremonial dance after battle to honor what they had been through. In some tribal cultures, wounded warriors would have to reclaim the parts of themselves scarred by trauma by going out alone into the dessert to journey until the painful part was reclaimed and reconnected. Honoring our scars is the most healing thing we can do. It means they are a part of us but they don't define us. The worse thing wounded warriors can do is to totally disconnect from their wounds because they then become zombies, missing complete pieces of themselves. I have been listening to an inspiring song lately that reminds me of the beauty of our scars. The song is called "Scars" by Johny Diaz and the lyrics...."Praise God we don't have to hide scars, they just strengthen our wounds and they soften our hearts. They remind us of where we've been but not who we are, so praise God we don't have to hide scars." Scars are just a part of our trek here on earth, our badge of honor and the true test of our spirit. With scars also come great joy if you allow it, when healing begins and love take holds. "It is through being wounded that power grows and can, in the end, become tremendous"...(Fredrich Nietzsche).