This is who I work for.
Little Me.
The one who always ran for jabberjaw at the Hanna-Barbera merry-go-round
I always knew animals would be there for me when people weren’t.
Being with a shark made me feel safe. Apex predator. I still hang out with a lot of Apex Predators.
Little me is the one who carried all the things and held it together until she couldn’t anymore.
The one who didn’t get a real childhood.
The one who was told not to tell.
In my work with kids (and parents) I talk about the difference between a secret, and a surprise.
Children shouldn’t ever be asked to carry a secret for an adult or to help an adult. Secrets hurt people. Over time secrets adults ask kids to keep have a meteoric impact on the child’s life.
Surprises have a shelf life, Secrets don’t. Surprises are held to create joy. A birthday present, a surprise party, something special being done for someone.
Not to someone.
I work for little me every day. It’s why I don’t have patience for oppression, or bullies. Why I speak out about things that a lot of people don’t.
She is the wisest part of me. My teachers, and team of care worked hard to bring her back. I will never jeopardize her leaving again because she feels unsafe. The promise I made when these parts of me returned was that I will always keep her safe and that we would try to find the others so that all kids can be safe, whether they are still kids or if the kid inside of them needs us.
Since I work for her, and part of my recovery from the things she survived is making sure she knows every SINGLE day, that my priority is her.
I will never be a bystander when people are being harmed or someone is using a power dynamic which would have hurt her.
I may not be your cup of tea, but I am hers, and the only person I ever worry about disappointing is her (okay and maybe my husband, Goose…) I will never stop making sure she is proud of me.
I know it’s a hard time out there for survivors, I hear you, I feel you, and I am here. We are here.
I am still protected by sharks. So are you.
I refused to put a shark in the tank during the project we produced for Shark Week way back when.
My anti-oppression policies include apex predators (not child predators). They deserve containment. They deserve to feel the weight of their own secrets and lies. The pendulum always swings an equal amount both ways. Their time is over.
Our time is now. Keep talking. Keep disclosing. Keep sharing your stories.
Every time you do another powerful shark is released into the water.