When I first stepped into the rescue center, I expected the healing to look a certain way — quiet rooms, deep conversations, maybe structured therapeutic activities led by trained professionals. What I didn’t expect was that some of the most profound healing I would ever witness would come from something far simpler, and far more universal: play.
Not organized, intentional play. Not worksheets or group therapy. I mean the wild, fizzy, uncontained kind of play that bursts out of children when they finally feel safe enough to be themselves.
It was running and shrieking for no reason at all.
It was sweet, colorful drawings, and impromptu dancing.
It was wrestling with volunteers who willingly toppled to the ground, pretending to be defeated.
It was children inventing hopscotch games out of the lines in the worn floor.
And in those moments, something extraordinary happened.
Healing Wasn’t Quiet — It Was Joyful
I watched their shoulders loosen. Their brows unfurrow. Their eyes brightened with a softness I hadn’t seen before. It was as if laughter itself carried a kind of magic, lifting weight off their tiny bodies that no one could see but everyone could feel.
And it was an elixir for every volunteer who joined in the fun. How grand to realize that in becoming kids ourselves, we were giving these precious ones a chance to let go.
Play didn’t erase their trauma. But it reminded them — even if only for a minute — that they were still children. Children who could laugh. Children who could trust. Children whose spirits had not been destroyed.
In these loud, messy moments, I think their hearts remembered something essential:
I am still capable of joy. I am still whole inside.
Why Play Works
Watching them taught me something I wish the whole world understood: play isn’t the opposite of healing. Play is healing.
Here’s what I saw again and again:
- Fear loosened its grip. A few minutes of laughter could release what hours of quiet reflection could not.
- Trust began to take root. A child who dared tag you or tease you was showing hope: Maybe adults can be safe.
- Creativity returned. The parts of them untouched by trauma — imagination, silliness, originality — resurfaced like budding flowers.
And I hoped new memories would be formed. Memories of being safe, being cared for, and being free.
Sometimes the most transformational moments weren’t peaceful or gentle at all — they were chaotic, noisy, and gloriously ridiculous. And yet, I think these were the moments when healing took place.
Joy as a Form of Medicine
I no longer believe that play is a distraction from the “real” work of healing. I think play is one of the purest forms of medicine we offer children who have survived unthinkable things.
Play opens the door to possibility.
Play tells a wounded child: You are more than what happened to you.
Play whispers: Hope is still here.
It’s astonishing, really — how something so simple can be so sacred.
A Light We Can All Carry
Wherever we are — in our homes, our communities, or in the centers where children are rebuilding their lives — we can bring this medicine with us.
You don’t need special training to offer play.
You don’t need the right words.
All you need is presence, gentleness, and willingness to step into a moment of joy.
Because sometimes, amid the noise and laughter and tumbling chaos, healing happens in ways we never could have planned.
And I truly believe this:
Play is one of the purest forms of hope we have.
If this message speaks to you—if you believe, as I do, that every child deserves safety, joy, and a chance to heal—I invite you to walk with me as I prepare to launch Called to Serve: Standing with Survivors and Protecting Children Still at Risk. My first solo book will be released on December 9, 2025, published by my daughter, Laura DiFranco, of Brave Healer Productions. I am building a team of people who want to help shine a light on this mission. Your support, your voice, and even a single shared post can help bring hope to children who need it most. Please do me the honor of joining this launch team. You will be asked to read a few chapters or the entire advanced reader copy; that’s your choice, spread the word if you can, and purchase the book on launch day. The Kindle version is priced at $1.99 for our launch team. The paperback will be available too!
Click HERE to be part of my team!
With gratitude, Susan
