On February 20, 2012, I had the honor and privilege of meeting Lauren Book at a small, intimate reception in Perry, Florida. A “thriving survivor” of childhood sexual abuse, Lauren was nearing the end of her third annual event, “Walk in My Shoes”. The first year she walked 500 miles, 1000 the next and now this year she tripled the initial distance to 1500 miles. With a small, close-knit support team including a photographer, drivers and logistics personnel, Lauren has walked from Key West up across the Florida panhandle and then doubled back towards Tallahassee. Along the way, people have joined up with the group at cities and towns across Florida to walk with Lauren and show their support. The goal of the walk is to raise awareness of the terrible abuses committed against children everywhere and empower victims to tell someone about their experiences and seek professional help. I only spoke briefly to Lauren, but she was very warm and friendly. We spoke a little about our college experiences and life after college, plans for the future, etc. There were many people there and I couldn’t take up too much of her time talking, but she really impressed me as being sweet and genuine.
Lauren & I at the dinner reception Monday night.
The following day, February 21, I joined nearly 500 other walkers for a short, triumphant march down the center of small, sleepy Perry where childhood sexual abuse and incest abounds. Wearing matching T-shirts and holding balloons, the large crowd of locals that spanned generations was upbeat, noisy and smiling. Although the morning was a bit cool with the threat of rain clouds rolling overhead, a powerful energy seemed to well up amongst the walkers, unifying the crowd and bringing hope and healing to the survivors among them. I walked alongside a new friend I made, Patricia, who was a part of Lauren’s team and also happened to be Venezuelan! It was a providential meeting and we both enjoyed chatting about our shared background and many other things.
The whole group of walkers at the end, with Lauren front and center.
At the end of the walk we took lots of pictures, ate cake from a giant, multi-hundred dollar cake designed to look like Lauren’s bus and took turns huddling under a tent as the cool rain began to fall. Slowly the crowd dissipated as small groups remained behind, people sharing their stories, laughing together and expressing their surprise and excitement over the unexpectedly large turnout we’d had. Off to one side, the team photographer, Omar, spoke to a group of women including a lady and her daughters who had been victims of sexual abuse. As they shared their stories for the camera and posed for pictures, they stood by each other’s sides, full of support and love for one another. They smiled for the cameras and stood up tall, beautiful in their strength and will to survive, thrive and overcome.
As it became clear that it was time for everyone to disband and Lauren’s team to move on to their next event, I couldn’t shake the urge to speak with Lauren one more time, to express my gratitude to her and give her one last hug. Helping me overcome my shyness, a driver on the team, Axel, handed me a copy of Lauren’s book and shoved me in her direction. Lauren graciously signed my copy and listened as I scrambled to say a few things to her. I can’t really remember exactly what I said, but I hope she understood that I was very glad to have met her! After one more hug and a picture, we parted ways – Lauren to continue her walk which finished today in Tallahassee, and I to go home, forever inspired and forever changed.
That night I started reading Lauren’s book, It’s OK to Tell, and couldn’t put it down. Many times I had to stop for a moment to regain the strength to keep reading. The tears poured down my cheeks and my heart ached for Lauren. I just wanted to reach through the pages and wrap my arms around the little girl who suffered so much, wishing to protect her and vying for her with every inch of my fiber. I had to finish her story. I needed to know how she was finally set free and where her journey of healing and freedom had taken her. It must have been nearing 5 A.M. when I finally finished reading the book and managed to drift off to sleep. Sitting here now, I look down at my teal, rubber bracelet. It says “LaurensKids.org” on one side and “39 Million” on the other. 39 million is the number of childhood sexual abuse survivors living in the U.S. today. I plan to wear my bracelet until it falls apart and then get a new one.
There is one more thing I want to share, something I learned by being around Lauren and watching her interactions with others. You see, Lauren is one of the most beautiful people I have ever met. Undoubtedly she is very lovely in a physical sense, but her beauty goes much, much deeper. The most attractive quality a person can have is this: to be unconcerned for oneself, to be stripped of all self-consciousness and in the moment to give freely of oneself to others. This is what Lauren does, she makes herself readily available to those around her as she loves on them, affirms and encourages them. She gives no thought to herself but just gives and gives, genuinely and unreservedly. It is this selflessness that makes Lauren truly beautiful. She is living a life of joy and fulfillment by giving herself in service and love to others.
Lauren holds hands with a new friend as they walk together in Perry.
Lauren and others near the end of the 2 mile walk in Perry.
I will remember Lauren and her kindness in the years to come. I will pray for her continued recovery and strength to endure. Lauren, this is my prayer and hope for you, taken from Isaiah 58:11-12:
May the LORD guide you always; may he satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
and strengthen your frame. May you be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. May you rebuild the ancient ruins and raise up the age-old foundations;
and may you be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.
I am so thankful and blessed to have been a part of this remarkable woman’s journey.
Thanks for reading!
~Heather
You can find Lauren’s book on Amazon by following the link below:
Visit LaurensKids.org to learn more about the work Lauren does.
All photos by Omar Vega
