You know I love the Olympics for just one thing: GLOBAL UNITY! I love when the planet comes together! Now, if the Olympics just didn’t have so many sporting events…
HA!
Just kidding… mostly. Kind of.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
I’m not a big sports fan, but I am a HUGE fan of courage and resilience and HOPE! And Kayla Harrison is dealing it out in spades in spite of the fact that her first coach, Daniel Doyle, abused her for three years. It is astounding to me that Kayla could find the strength to trust again, but she did. Coach Jimmy Pedro poured love and protection and belief back into this girl and helped her athletic dreams come true. He is a hero.
I’m so relieved and grateful and inspired when I hear that victims of abuse (of any kind) break free from their abusers, when their abusers face justice in the courts, and when these beautiful children flourish into the very people they were designed to be in the first place.
But we all have to do our part, folks.
All of us.
We must be vigilant.
We must put kids first…
… before our own comfort
… before our own fears
… before our own demons.
We cannot hesitate to intervene for children.
Yet people do all the time.
I found a great article about Kayla last week that said in part:
“Last week, an Indianapolis Star investigation revealed USA Gymnastics officials ignored allegations that coaches were sexually abusing their underage athletes. In at least four cases, executives neglected to report accusations to authorities, allowing the coaches to continue victimizing girls for years before their eventual arrests.”
How many times do we have to hear the words:
No exceptions.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
If you come across information that a child is in danger and you are not sure what to do, contact me. I will help you. Otherwise, here is some information about how to report!
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Daisy Rain Martin is an author, speaker, advocate, and educator as well as a founding member of The Flying M-Inklings Writing Group. She lives with her husband, Sean-Martin, in the beautiful state of Idaho and teaches English and Literature during the school year to the best 7th graders the world over. Daisy spends her summers writing, speaking, researching, creating, gardening, and canning.
Hope Givers: Hope is Here, is the sequel, of sorts, to her comedic, spiritual memoir, Juxtaposed: Finding Sanctuary on the Outside, which was Christopher Matthews #1 top selling book in 2012. She has also written a free e-book for anyone who has or is currently being sexually abused called, If It’s Happened to You.
Please follow her weekly blog, SATURDAISIES, which addresses a plethora of current issues including child advocacy, all things hilarious, and matters of the heart. She would love for you to join the Rainy Dais Communityby friending her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.