I have previously shared a bit about our family’s journey to safety, health and happiness (https://www.eight2eightpursuits.com/post/trading-a-year-for-a-lifetime). If you have followed along, you know that our daughter spent time in the Utah desert at a wilderness therapy program.
When a student concludes their time in the wilderness program, there is a graduation ceremony. The parents attend. In the desert. Overnight.
I am not a camper. Nope, doesn’t happen.
However, I figured if my daughter could spend 5 months in the desert, I could certainly spend one night.
It was an amazing experience. The shooting stars, the howling of the coyotes, the sunrise over the mountains – God was really showing off.
Our daughter was in a group with several other girls. They had to work together to make camp, dig latrines, gather firewood and a myriad of other tasks that are part of living in the desert.
At graduation, we were sitting around a campfire with these girls. These beautiful young women who were in pain and seeking a path to a better future, just like our daughter. They were also dirty and smelly…actually, they were disgustingly filthy.
But they were also children who missed their families desperately.
I was thrilled and honored to be asked to stand in for their mothers and give each a “Mom Hug”. Some sobbed openly, some were shy and would not stand for more than a quick squeeze. But each girl eagerly stood in line to receive one.
Thank you to the moms that attended ceremonies before me and reminded my daughter what Mom Hugs feel like.
If it would be helpful to know the resources our family has used to seek help and healing:
The Envoy Group (https://www.theenvoygroup.com/) assists families, at no charge, in finding the right wilderness program, therapeutic boarding school or residential treatment center.
StarGuides (https://starguideswilderness.com/) helps both boys and girls break dangerous addictions through therapeutic wilderness experiences in the beautiful Utah desert.
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