Yesterday I cried. Cried like a baby. Tears streamed down my face like two faucets had been turned on behind my eyelids. My heart was aching, my body weak, and my thoughts were searching for something I could not find...
In this profound emptiness, I found gratitude; a whispering moment of peace.
You see, I stumbled upon a story. A story called "The Julie Project" by Darcy Padilla. I almost skipped over the story, but I am now so thankful that I didn't. (Even if it did make me cry.)
"The Julie Project" is an 18 year account of one woman's trials and tribulations. Starting out, Darcy Padilla befriends Julie, 18, (and her 8 day old daughter, Rachel) in 1993 in the lobby of the Ambassador Hotel in San Francisco's SRO (single room occupancy) district.
The following blurb from Darcy's Introduction adequately describes Julie's situation:
"For the last 18 years I have photographed Julie Baird’s complex story of multiple homes, AIDS, drug abuse, abusive relationships, poverty, births, deaths, loss and reunion. Following Julie from the backstreets of San Francisco to the backwoods of Alaska" - Darcy Padilla
The story that continues from there is one that I will NEVER forget!
3 Things for You:
*Please read, remember, and share Julie's story.
*Give thanks to Darcy Padilla for staying by her side all those years. (And for her continuing efforts to find those children!)
*Never judge people, because you may never know of their past or their trials to make a better future.
***PS. Darcy Padilla's story about Julie is very personal, very graphic, and could potentially be offensive. Read at your own discretion. - edited note added 3/24/11
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