Two Remarkable Women

Jaycee Dugard and Elizabeth Smart were both in the news this week.  At age 14, Elizabeth was kidnapped from her home and held for 9 months just miles from her home.  She is now 23 and will be a contributor to ABC News as an analyst on missing persons cases.   She stared defiantly at the man who assaulted her daily as she gave her testimony.  Before he was sent to life in prison, she told him "I just want you to know that I have a wonderful life now" 

Even more incredible is the story of Jaycee Dugard.  If you did not see Diane Sawyer's interview with her, go to abc.com and watch.  Jaycee was kidnapped at just 11 years old and held captive for 18 years.  She was repeatedly assaulted and gave birth to two children in a backyard, one when she was just 14. This girl is absolutely inspiring.  No matter what you have had to deal with in your life, it pales in comparison.

In the summer of 1991 I was a normal kid. I did normal things. I had friends and a mother who loved me. I was just like you. Until the day my life was stolen.
For eighteen years I was a prisoner. I was an object for someone to use and abuse.
For eighteen years I was not allowed to speak my own name. I became a mother and was forced to be a sister. For eighteen years I survived an impossible situation.
On August 26, 2009, I took my name back. My name is Jaycee Lee Dugard. I don’t think of myself as a victim. I survived.
A Stolen Life is my story—in my own words, in my own way, exactly as I remember it.

Psychotherapist Stacy Kaiser writes in USA Today, "Most of us don't know how to handle a crisis or devastating experience, let alone recover from one. While a traumatic situation can make both a psychological and emotional impact on any of us, the way we handle the recovery process can set the tone for our future success and ultimately our happiness. All of us can use Jaycee's approach as a blueprint for how to rise above trauma and even thrive in spite of it."





Inspiration for everyone...