Kids helping kids

Our young friend, N, is in the hospital and in terrible pain. This little girl is 10 years old and has some awful health issues, including nonstop head and abdominal pain that the doctors can't seem to address. Harriet has insisted on going to see N every day since she went into the hospital last week, even though Harriet herself is still dealing with her own pain.

Today, I watched Harriet walk into the hospital room where N was sobbing in pain, saying that she had no hope. Harriet -- who, let's remember, is only 15 years old -- sat right down on the edge of the bed and started whispering to N. In a few minutes, the tears had stopped and the two girls were talking about some pretty deep stuff: hope, God, pain... It was unbelievable. N's mom and I ended up going out into the hallway to give the girls some time to talk.

Pain has made these children old and wise beyond their years. It breaks my heart to see them suffer, but it heals my soul to see them help each other.

When no one understands the pain of your child, the feelings slide from terror to hopelessness to rage from one moment to the next. Today, these two girls showed a room full of grownups how important it is to help each other through our darkest moments. To fearlessly jump in and grab the hand of someone else who is hurting, even when we are hurting too.

Maybe especially when we are hurting.

"And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart." --Ecclesiastes 4:12