“When you save one life, it is as if you saved the entire world” ~ Talmud
Marnie Grundman
Trauma certified therapist focused on survivors of narcissist family systems | Keynote Speaker | Podcaster | Author
It’s hard for me to believe that my interview on Breakfast Television was one year ago today. It's incredible how much my life path has changed in such a short period of time.
When I began writing my book I had no idea where it would lead me. As I wrote and released myself from the shame that was never my burden to carry, I could not fully appreciate the impact that it would have on my life and the lives of others. Even as I wrote, the direction and my goals for sharing my experiences changed. My initial purpose behind sharing my story was to reach recovering runaways to give them connection … a healing that I spent most of my life looking for. As my story unfolded, people well-known and unknown to me asked me what I was writing about. Their questions and reactions made me I realize that the stigma … the judgment attached to children who run away from home was alive and flourishing.
I came to realize that …
A child who runs from home is still thought of as a “problem child.”
The idea that homeless people choose to be such is still “a thing.”
The lack of compassion and understanding for homeless PEOPLE in spite of all of the information to the contrary is still “a thing.”
As I came to terms with the judgment that I was faced with, my story broadened to shine a bright light on the issues that runaways and homeless people of all ages experience. In the past year, I have been blessed with messages from other runaways, adults recovering from child abuse and people who had little or no connection to what people who live on the streets go through. The following is a message I received just before Christmas. It is a great reminder of just how life-changing the ripple effect is.
“Because of you, every homeless person I see in the streets, I help with a food of their preference (I ask). I have 2 friends who are now doing the same. Wanted to let you know how your exposure is directly helping homeless people - the fruits of your efforts!”