The triumph of being a SURVIVOR, and not a victim

I love my friend Raven. She is probably one of the strongest, most joyful, and most honest people I know. She works in health care, and is a passionate advocate for her patients; her care and compassion and determination pour out upon everyone she cares for.

The past few days, I've been helping my parents while Mom goes through knee replacement surgery. It's her second kneee, and the first knee was a nightmare. We've had to be very careful of the medication this time because of the reactions Mom had last time. Through it all, last time and this, Raven has been there - via e-mail, yes, but THERE - for me like a rock. She's never met my Mom - hasn't even seen pictures of her - and yet, long-distance, she's also become my Mom's advocate. Raven has helped me navigate through a very delicate situation with confidence and encouraged me to be a compassionate coach for Mom.

Raven is, simply, the BEST!

And now, she talks a bit about her life and the choices she had made in the past. She talks about how much better it is to be a survivor rather than a victim. This is a lady who has "been there, done that" and BURNED that t-shirt.

I think that all my readers really ought to meet my friend Raven. Go read her post, "About Being A Victim," and see the incredible character and integrity of my favorite blog-sister.

Then you might begin to understand why I filed this post under "Heroes."