My friend gave me a stuffed doll with a sharp pin because someone hurt me so profoundly, I couldn’t cope with the emotional pain. The doll caused me to laugh. That’s what good people do when they know their friends are hurting.
In moments of frustration, I often grabbed the doll and took great delight in jabbing the pin around various parts of the stuffed body. The action relieved momentary hurt and stress, but the doll didn’t feel any retribution. I realized the pain remained in my heart.
I decided to try a different tactic. I poked the doll when I wanted to send positive thoughts to the person who continued to attack me. Now I send love and compassion with the same intensity I used to send hate and anger.
I don’t know if the intended person feels or acknowledges positive thoughts sent through the reverse vengeance doll, but I feel better. For me, the only way to heal from years of cruelty is to return unconditional love. That doesn’t mean I deserve to be a victim, or claim to be a pitiful martyr, or am too weak to fight back. Someone or something deeply hurt the person who hurt me, so I want to stop the cycle – one poke at a time.
