A mother's reaction to Elizabeth Smart

I can't help reading the testimony of Elizabeth Smart line by line. It's horrifying, inhumane and awful, but I read it because I simply can't believe the strength of this young woman. To read her account of how she was captured, raped and chained to trees for a period of months is truly grotesque. But to see how she has pulled herself out of that experience is inspirational.

When Elizabeth was abducted in 2002, I was in college. So hearing her story made me think about what I would do in her situation. But today, I am a mother of two little girls as I read Smart's chilling testimony.

As a mom, one of the worst things I can imagine is not knowing where my daughter is or what is happening to her. Every inclination and biological impulse in a mother is to protect her babies. So what happens when you can't protect them or you don't even know what they need protecting from?

I can't imagine the horror of those months of wondering for Ed and Lois Smart, Elizabeth parents. And this week, I can't imagine the pain of hearing from your daughter's mouth how she was mistreated and abused just miles from her family's home. That has to be excruciating.

But I also think it's a testament to the Smart's love and skill as parents that their daughter has been able to find her self-worth after such a traumatic and debasing ordeal.

Elizabeth Smart said in a courtroom testimony Monday, "After the shock, a little bit of what had happened, I started thinking about my family, about my parents and what my life had been before. And I thought no matter what happened to me, my parents would always love me. And I thought that couldn't change and that I still was a person of worth."

What are you reactions to Smart's testimony of what happened to her? How do parents help their child recover from something like this?

Share your thoughts on www.deseretnews.com. 

 

Celebrate the good, the bad and the downright ridiculous moments of motherhood with the Just4Mom blog. From stretch marks to the latest news for moms, Erin Stewart discusses it all while her 3-year-old daughter crams Mr. Potato Head pieces in her nose. Erin is expecting her second daughter soon.