A SLICE OF BREAD

There is a story about several Jewish children who were rescued from one of the Nazi concentration camps, as WWII was winding down. I have long since forgotten exactly what country it was, since the SS ran camps in numerous occupied countries. However, after the children were brought out of these infamous death camps, they were placed in orphanages throughout Europe.

It seems these children had been exposed to abuse and deprivation during their tenure in the camps, and they exhibited the symptoms of PTSD. Their most prominent symptoms were anxiety, including nervousness which resulted in trembling and twitches, and a fear that they would, once again, be deprived of life-giving nourishment.

In one case, the nuns in a Catholic orphanage were almost besides themselves with frustration and a feeling of helplessness that the children continued to exhibit the foregoing symptoms, and they didn’t know how to do a thing about it.

And then, one of the Catholic sisters had an idea.

As the children were getting ready for bed, she walked around their bedroom; holding a loaf of bread. And one by one, “Sister Margaret” placed a single slice of bread in their hands. And strangely enough, almost immediately, she saw a marked change in their countenance. The fear disappeared from their faces, half smiles appeared in its place, and it seemed even the pallor of their skin took on a pinkish glow.

And it immediately occurred to the children’s caregivers that the dear young lady had stumbled upon the simplest of interventions.

A slice of bread

For you see, the fear and nervousness had dissipated, and the boys and girls intuitively understood that they would wake up in the morning with something with which to satisfy their hunger.

And from that time forward, and for as long as the precious boys and girls lived in the orphanage, each and every child was provided a slice of bread to hold in their hands, and, almost without exception, they quietly drifted off to sleep.

by William McDonald, PhD. Copyright pending

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