Wounded and Wiser

I’ve talked before about the unique ability we have to help others heal from pain we’ve experienced ourselves. Those who have suffered, whether from violence or illness or unexpected tragedy, are uniquely qualified to light a path for people who must find their way through a similar forest. We see this every time a crime victim, school dropout or bereaved parent launches an effort to restore justice, engage students or support the grieving.

Larry King recently interviewed Lee Thomas, a TV broadcaster in Detroit who has vitiligo, an incurable disease that is turning his black skin white. You can read the transcript or download the podcast about Thomas’s struggle here. The interview was truly compelling, but what stuck with me was Thomas's assertion that his affliction "has made me the man I always wanted to be." He said he is more understanding, more compassionate. He is in touch with the struggles of others, and with children who have vitiligo in particular. He is using his high media profile to bring much-needed attention and acceptance to a condition that often generates despair.

Similarly, a newly released book, Strong at the Broken Places, profiles ordinary people with various chronic health challenges who are triumphing, emotionally, in the face of great odds. The author, Richard Cohen, has multiple sclerosis and is a colon cancer survivor. The book is giving hope to those who battle illness every day, as well as to those of us with our own "broken places" awaiting transformation.

What are your broken places? What might you offer to others who share a similar experience or challenge? Take a small, initial step and feel the healing begin.