Finding the Shore
A rescue from the waves of emotion
Keep it all in. Don’t show the emotions that are bubbling up inside, threatening to spill over into a downward spiral. U.S. Navy veteran Jessica Rhein trained herself to dismiss the pain. Ignore the darkness that lurked in her mind from years at sea.
Her mission: to protect civilian ships moving through heavily pirated waters. Serving seven years with the Navy’s military police, Jessica didn’t have time to process emotions or fears. Sailing throughout the Middle East and around the world, she remained focused on protecting the people and supplies onboard as they navigated treacherous waters.
And when she left her duties at sea, Jessica found herself stranded in a world where nothing made sense. Lost. Drowning in the feelings that she buried beneath the crashing waves for years. Post-traumatic stress and debilitating back pain reminding her of the days spent focusing on protecting others—and never herself.
Jessica needed to know it was okay to let her thoughts and emotions reach the surface. But she couldn’t find the light through the pressure of pain. She needed someone to show her the way.
Service dog Spencer walked into her life with a gentle nudge that said it’s time; it’s time to let it all out. His intuition perfectly in tune with Jessica’s feelings, pulling her from the pit of haunting memories.
“He likes to lay up against me and pressure point his body on mine,” she says. “I need it. And I didn’t even realize I needed that until I had Spencer.”
Now as a mom to three sons under the age of 10, Jessica continues to put others before herself. But Spencer keeps a watchful eye and open heart, caring for his person, reminding her when it’s time to breathe a sigh of relief and let out the emotions that spent so many years trapped in darkness.
“I went through intense therapy for PTSD, so I thought that had opened my eyes,” Jessica says. “But I wasn’t nearly as aware as I am now, with Spencer.”
If Jessica tries to dismiss her emotions, Spencer’s snuggle says we’re feeling this, together. Pay attention because you matter. To me.
And though he never saw the horror at sea or felt the physical effects of Jessica’s years of service, he knows the way to bring her emotions to shore—into the light where joy, hope, and newfound freedom offer a breath of fresh air.
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