Who I admire and get inspiration from! not just a woman...

[SoniCido]

http://www.alongwaygone.com/long_way_gone.html

I was trying to find info on a woman who's boyfriend shot and killed her mother and shot her face off. She was on OPRAH. She got tons of plastic surgery and is helping other women of violence. I can not find her site. So...

I have to say that there is someone-but a 26 year old "boy" who inspires me and my twins who are the age he was when he went through his amazing and fearsome ordeal. His name is, Ishmael Beah. 

I "met him" on gather.com (you may want to go there too and  use that site for your creative side) and I also bought his book and am reading it to my twins.

He is starting an "Ismael Beah Foundation" in which I'm hoping my twins and I can help him launch.

Ismael was recruited as one of many thousands, maybe millions of boy soldiers in Africa (Sierra Leone). He resisted, ran, was caught, recruited, killed, escaped, returned, killed more and escaped from it a final time through UNICEF.

His memoirs are about how he learned to forgive himself for killing and being a part of murder. He has overcome things that we will never have to know to do.

His message is this, do not ever think that you are above the worst of crimes-and also never believe that children who have been, have no hope. Children are resilient if given opportunity to be.

My children are awestruck that some children have actually lived his life or worse. 

Soni 

[penguinsrock]

Apr. 28, 2007 at 8:59 AM Ok I am gonna reread this. Amazing.