"I'm right here with you"
Hi friends -
As I’ve mentioned here a million times, I love a good podcast.
One of my favorite podcasts is Glennon Doyle’s We Can Do Hard Things.
Recently, I listened to this interview between Glennon and WNBA basketball star Brittney Griner.
You may recall that Brittney was in the national spotlight for quite a while in 2022 when she was detained and then imprisoned in Russia for traveling with one gram of medically prescribed cannabis oil.
This was during the time that Russia was invading Ukraine, which led to heightened tensions between the U.S. and Russia. The U.S. engaged in a tumultuous battle with Russian authorities in an effort to bring Brittney home.
It took a brutal nine months to get Brittney back on American soil.
Brittney has discussed publically how dark this experience was for her. She often felt forgotten about and feared she’d be in prison forever. In the early days of her detainment, she even considered ending her life.
During the podcast, Glennon and Brittney discussed Brittney’s new memoir, Coming Home. In the book, Brittney provides an in-depth look at her traumatic experience, sharing vivid details about her imprisonment and the impact it has had on her mental health.
Glennon, who has openly discussed her own stories of trauma, asked Brittney if she was hesitant to share her story so vulnerably with the world.
Glennon’s question was rooted in the idea that sharing one’s story can often expose one to judgment and criticism.
Brittney responded that she decided to share her story because she wanted to let other victims of trauma know that they were not alone.
Brittney wanted to convey the message, “You are not alone — I’m right here with you.”
Those words stuck with me and caused me to reflect on the power of sharing our stories.
I think, often, we view our struggles as a very singular experience - as if we are the only ones in the world experiencing that kind of pain.
Some of the darkest moments in my own life have made me feel very alone, exposed, and vulnerable.
I would go through the motions of life, going to work, shopping for groceries, working out, but doing so with the knowledge that I was in deep pain on the inside.
As I shared last week, I’m currently going through a divorce, and in the early days of the separation, I wondered if I would be able to find hope or healing.
I found comfort in telling myself, “Rachel, you are not the first person to get a divorce. Many people have gone through this exact thing, and they survived. You will, too.”
If there is anything I have learned from sharing my thoughts and reflections here each week it's that countless people are out there navigating their own battles, their own divorces, their own illnesses, their own addictions.
Truly, we are not alone.
And, we can derive strength and comfort from the knowledge that others are right here with us - in the beauty and brutality of life - finding hope, healing, and freedom.
If this reaches you in a particularly vulnerable place today, know that I’m holding space for you.
To quote Rainer Maria Wilke, “No feeling is final.”
Warmly,
Rachel
Rachel McCrickard, LMFT
CEO/Co-Founder, Motivo
rachel@motivohealth.com