World Premiere of Redlight Illuminates the Atrocities of Human Trafficking

On Monday I had the great fortune of attending the world premiere of Redlight in New York City. A documentary more than four years in the making, Redlight focuses on the survivors of human trafficking and the heroes who are fighting for justice for all children.

One of the women who was featured in the film is Mu Sochua. She is the opposition party leader in Cambodia and is a tireless fighter for the poor and vulnerable. For that, she is not celebrated but in constant fear of house arrest. She made a wonderful challenge to those there Monday evening: although we focus on the trials of one country, trafficking happens in every country. Human trafficking is the third largest criminal business and the fastest growing.

Attention and funding needs to come to the problems of human trafficking. Companies such as LexisNexis (fervent partners in the face against human trafficking) are uniquely positioned to be leaders in the new frontier against trafficking. We need laws to be changed--only 2 states have laws that protect children from being charged for prostitution. We need rescue and rehabilitation centers that provide real vocational and educational options for survivors. We need awareness, action and advocacy. Monday night gave me the hope to keep fighting for it!

Happy Father's Day

We don't do anything alone. We are formed by those who raise us and we are influenced by those around us. I am thankful everyday that the father of my children, Chris, is a man who not only rises to the challenges of parenthood, but exceeds at it and relishes in it. Simply put, there is no better dad for my three sons.

In the last three months when I had to leave home to begin my new job in the town to which we were relocating, Chris stayed behind, worked full time and took care of the boys. He checked homework, he cooked meals, he coached Little League. My boys know that he is a rock, the one who makes them laugh, tends to their needs and the model for being a good man.

Happy Father's Day, Chris.

Resilience

Every week I sit across from a parent, a relative, a foster mom or social worker who wonders aloud if the child they are caring for will recover from the physical or sexual abuse they have experienced. It is a tag line of mine to parents and caregivers that "children are resilient." I don't think I could do my job if I didn't truly believe that children could recover from the horrible things that adults do to them. Still, I am amazed and humbled when I see evidence of it in its many forms. So what does relilience look like? We often think of resilience as the end result of a fully "healed" child. It is present, however, even in the midst of their deepest struggle.

Resilience is the teenager who spends an entire session...or many sessions...in stoney silence with arms crossed. The message I take from her is, "I know how to set my boundaries with you even though I've never been safe enough to set boundaries before." I might be the first person in a long time who has taken her "NO" at face value and honored it.

Resilience is in the child who comes to my therapy session with a picture for me that says, "I am happy on Tuesdays because I see my counselor." What I read when I see this picture is a little boy who is saying, "I've decided trust someone again, even though it has cost me dearly in the past." He has given me the opportunity to teach him how to trust and still protect himself in the future.

Resilience is the little girl who pretends she is a superhero when she hears her parents fighting. She is telling me, "I know there is a better place inside of me to wait out this storm." I will get the opportunity to show her that she won't always have to hide the depths of her imagination to feel secure.

Resilience is the adolescent boy who says, "I've been angry for 8 years, but I can't let it out yet because it would all just explode". Even in his hesitation, he has given acknowledgement to his emotion. It will be my wish to show him that his anger is justifiable.

Resilience is every child who sits across from me and dares to share the secret of their hurt.