A Poem By: Josie Nelson

Breathe in deep. Expand your lungs. Drop your shoulders. Raise your chest.
Exhale s-l-o-w-l-y out your mouth, so you feel wind across your lips.
Breathe in. Exhale out. Breathe in. Exhale out.
Do you feel lighter? Do you feel brighter?
Do you feel that little spark of hope that there’s more to come?
More LIFE. More healing. More space to grow, not just upwards, but outwards.
Up and out to reach as many as you can.

Imagine a lotus flower. A symbol of regeneration. Enlightenment. Rebirth.
A lotus flower starts in the dark, muddy waters growing in many different climates.
An aquatic being. Being underwater, yet still thriving and breathing.
Their long stems shoot down in the water, and the leaves sit balanced on the top.
Each day there’s a shift. A daily cycle. Bloom and relax.
As they bloom, their petals’ waxy coating sheds water and dirt, starting the day pure and clean.
Imagine those petals — pink, white, purple, even blue. Pick your favorite color.
Now close your eyes. See the petals open. Breathe in. Let your petals open and reach.
Now imagine the petals closing. Breathe out. Release your worries and relax into safety.
Breathe in. Petals open. Breathe out. Petals close.

As the lotus, you are persevering. Pushing your way through trauma. Pain. Muddy waters.
You are growing despite all the conditions against you.
You can survive the scorching days. The ice-cold days.
You can survive the high emotion. Angry days. Isolating, depressing days.
You are not alone. When you look at a pond where lotuses grow, they are surrounded.

ARO wants to Breathe Life. Bring Hope.
A refuge and a place for wellness and growth.
Not to be constrained by the lies or the muddy, murky waters of life, but to thrive.
ARO is here to have the conversations no one else will.
You deserve the truth of who you are and who you are meant to be.
ARO Breathes Life. And you can too.

Abuse Refuge Org’s mission is to build a worldwide community focused on breaking the cycle of abuse through education and support. Learn more at GoARO.org, and please consider donating to help support our cause.