By Claire Louge, Executive Director
Last month, I got overwhelmed by the beauty in humanity.
I was sitting at the front table in the huge ballroom at our Child Abuse Prevention Conference, watching a video our closing keynote speaker, John Noltner, had created just the night before. It was a video of dozens of striking portraits he had taken of our conference participants, paired with their statements answering the question: what calls you to this work?
As I watched, I took big gulps from my water glass to keep myself from sobbing too loudly.
I was so moved by the beauty of purpose. The beauty in humanity.
Listen, I know it’s not all beautiful. It’s hard out there. I know we have access to every piece of bad news, and every example of deplorable human behavior. That’s what we’re working to stop. That’s what we’re working to prevent.
But in the face of that - especially in the face of that - the beauty in people is resplendent. I am astounded by the people I get to work alongside, and their persistent commitment to carrying on. To using their strengths to find them in others. To turning their experiences of pain into something that might help others avoid the same hurt. I am awestruck by their alchemy.
I deeply respect those who witness the worst consequences of human behavior and commit themselves to healing it. Who keep hope alive.
Because hope is ignited by this kind of human beauty.
And hope is our defiance. We defy that harm is inevitable. We defy that trauma defines a person’s fate.
We defy that systems are too big and entrenched and complex to improve.
We know we can make things better because of what we have in us.
The beauty of humanity is within you.
Remember it. Share it. Look for it in others. Point it out. Witnessing that beauty strengthens it.
Stay beautiful, my friends. I’m so grateful for what I see in you.
Want to see what I mean? Check out John Noltner’s video at the CAP Conference here: