Don’t Hesitate
By Judy Molosky, CSJ
My favorite quotation in life is “the unreflected life is not worth living,” attributed to Socrates. And I always respond with “the unlived life is not worth reflecting upon”. I try to live life fully each day – except when I get distracted by interruptions or worries like:
- fear of losing my life in an accident here in car-crazy L.A., or
- unreconciled relationships, or
- AI taking over my/our thinking, or
- not protecting young people in vulnerable places, or
- dying of colon cancer, which I avoided last year thanks to caring doctors!
All these fears can overshadow the reflective life I try to lead as a woman religious, trusting in God, being patient with process, listening to others with an open heart, not judging, waiting for Jesus to love me into my healthy self!
Upon reflection, then, I recall meeting a young woman at our April AEHT Conference in Boston. Jenny sat next to me twice at meals. I sensed a deep soul that I hesitated to investigate. Why did I hesitate? I’m the strongest extrovert in my CSJ community, but something cautioned me to be careful. I avoided asking “what brought you here?”
After three days of input and sharing on serious topics addressing “Current Trends and Prevention Strategies” in human trafficking, I finally met Jenny face-to-face. To my surprise, on the last day, I stumbled upon Jenny‘s display table. She writes poetry! She’s a published author! Oh, wow, Jenny is a survivor of human trafficking, an artist, a Beautiful Feet Wellness nonprofit entrepreneur, and a change maker! We spoke briefly. I bought her poetry book, Railroad. I have since pondered and prayed for Jenny’s life through her revealing poetry. After visiting her website, I want the world to know about Jenny and her “choreopoems” – spreading awareness about human trafficking.
Whether you take her spirit on your summer retreat or just sit with her poems on your couch, Jenny will captivate your soul. I thank God that Jenny Footle reflected on her experience to help me/us bond with her and all those being exploited in human trafficking. Her book cover shouts: “Railroad is a call to action, an urgent plea for awareness and understanding. It pierces through imposed silence and acts as a testament to the transformative power of art and the redemptive potential of the human spirit.”
I leave you with Jenny’s last poem/prayer in Railroad, that is my prayer too:
“Jesus loves me.
This, I know.
For my life experience tells me so
Every little broken piece of my heart, to him belongs
The perpetrators are weak,
But God,
is strong.
Yes Jesus loves me.
Yes, the king of heaven loves me.
Yes, indeed I am loved
The spirit that lives within me, and will never leave me,
Tells me so.”
ACT NOW! Don’t hesitate! BE with the ones you meet today to listen and connect in solidarity.
Visit www.beautifulfeetwellness.org and invite Jenny to your venue, school, community, or parish. Order Railroad!