This has been a horrific week for the people of the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont. The murder of Melissa Jenkins, which made national headlines earlier this week, is the kind of thing that seems unthinkable until it happens. And for the first time, I was part of the media covering the story.
Because my editors are very good to me, I was insulated from most of the really disturbing stuff – going to the arraignment, reading the affidavit (which I heard described by our court reporter as one of the most horrifying things he’s ever read), and the like. But I was part of the team effort to cover the story.
Yesterday I was so distressed that I wrote to a news anchor who I know: “How do you do justice to your job while also remaining human? How do you not lose site of what’s important in either arena?”
She graciously responded with wise words about the “impossible conundrum of being a decent human and a news reporter” and then shared with me how she deals with it. It has been a powerful learning experience, but there has been very little joy this week.
Which is why it was so astonishingly wonderful to come home tonight to a message that my book, Transforming Your Body Image, had just been reviewed on the site SweepTight.com (direct link to the review: http://sweeptight.com/2012/03/transforming-your-body-image.html).
Reading it brought a huge smile to my face because the reviewer, Sam, GOT IT. She had exactly the experience that I hoped someone would have with the book. And then she shared it with other people.
After this week, it was a huge miracle to remember that I can and do have a positive impact on this world. There are good people in this world. Good things happen. And it’s okay to smile.
Thank you Sam. I am deeply grateful to you tonight.
PS – Please go read the review and give them some love. They’re also sponsoring a couple of giveaways of the book!
Now go hug somebody you love.
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