Brave Heart

I have the privilege of working with some of the most courageous people in the world--people who weekly take on their inner demons in therapy. There is an unearthly but predictable internal dance that can be tracked by intently watching their faces. It is my job to get the demon out in the open--theirs to take it on.
Today, I watched as an exhausted but determined woman chased terror across the landscape of her heart. Her life has been one that, God forbid, anyone should have the misfortune of living. But she still gets up in the morning, washes her face, makes breakfast for her children, and goes off to work. All this, while she fights an internal war with hideous memories that nearly cost her life. Today, after a particularly difficult face-off, she was able to leave worn out, but tearfully victorious.
The sad thing is that I can't tell anyone about all her victories and strengths. But I do think about it sometimes when I lie in bed and think about all the brave people in this world that no one will ever know about.