Answered Prayer?

I'm sure I've made many hyperbolic statements throughout my life, but it is not hyperbole to say that the week before my birthday this year was the worst one in my entire life. Since then I have, thankfully, been instinctually counting my blessings.

My oldest child ran away, insofar as a 22-year-old can run away, in early July. She left for a planned trip but wrote us a "goodbye forever" message in Discord and blocked us on all platforms as soon as she left. We had no contact with her for about six weeks before she called, apparently at rock bottom and in need of our support. We had known she was in need in mental health help and headed for a crisis, but prior to running away we had been unsuccessful in convincing her to access any sort of support.

Our only goal for her upon returning home was to get into some sort of treatment. It had been our prayer, the prayer of many in our community for her, since early spring. Unfortunately, after being home for less than 10 hours, awake for less than two, she waited for me outside the bathroom and stabbed me multiple times in the neck.

My husband disarmed her (twice) and sat on her until law enforcement arrived. I went out to the front lawn, wondering why I hadn't fainted from blood loss. My younger child called 911. So one week before my birthday this summer, I underwent nearly five hours of emergency surgery and was in the hospital for two nights as my firstborn child was booked into jail. See, not hyperbole. Worst. Week. Ever.

I know I have a lot of emotional healing to do that will go above and beyond the physical. But right now I am doing surprisingly well. I'm managing my pain with ibuprofen and acetaminophen. I can talk about what happened without sobbing. 

This seems like a time to count and recount my blessings, even the ones I accept grudgingly:

• Most importantly, I am alive - my husband literally saved my life
• I know where my kid is, and I know she's safe
• My child will now be compelled to accept mental health help
• My parents jumped in the car and drove through two states to see me in the hospital
• My in-laws jumped in the car and drove through one state to see me in the hospital
• There is a deeply satisfying pleasure in simply taking a deep breath
• A co-worker volunteered, enthusiastically to set up my classroom for the year
• My boss found a sub for me for the first two weeks of school
• I have been gifted many delicious homemade meals that come with heartfelt cards
• I have been gifted many, many gift cards
• So many people have called, emailed, and texted to check in
• My school community is incredibly supportive. Everyone is doing everything possible to make sure I am not worrying about the start of the school and getting the rest and recovery time I need

I'm not exactly happy about how God chose to answer the prayers for my daughter to get the mental health help she needs. But I am forced to believe there really wasn't another way. She did not hit my artery. She did not puncture my esophagus. She did not damage my trachea. My doctors expect me to make a full recovery. I hope the same will be true for my child.

Update (August 16, 2025):

This week marks one year since I was stabbed. I wrote the above post three weeks after the incident, but did not publish it, not knowing if I was ready for the news to be out in the world. One year in I know I am not healed - physically or mentally. My child is still in county jail while mental health experts are apparently preparing a report to present in court. The trial date has been pushed back several times. A judge put a no contact order in place due to the violent nature of the crime, so it is currently illegal for our child to have contact with us - making it impossible to know how she is doing or what kind of mental health help is being offered, if any. I don't know what's next for her, but I wish the process of getting there was faster.

I am in physical therapy, massage therapy, trauma therapy, and still have phone calls with my PCP about every other month. My physical therapist and massage therapist have worked together to help me regain most of the movement in my neck. I am still dealing with nerve damage that has greatly reduced sensation in my neck, shoulder, pec, and upper back and causes stabbing pain to randomly ravage the scar area. My trauma therapist is helping me work toward processing the event, which has gotten me to the point of writing again - this week I journaled and wrote a poem, both for the first time since before I was stabbed. I am healing. Again, I just wish the process was faster.