Advice From a Mom

“The morning after I was rescued my mom gave me the best advice I’ve ever been given… My mom said to me, ‘Elizabeth, what this man has done to you, it’s terrible, there aren’t words strong enough to describe how wicked and evil he is. He has stolen nine months of your life from you that you will never get back. But the best punishment you could ever give him is to be happy, is to move forward with your life and to do exactly what you want to do… The best thing you can do is to move forward because by feeling sorry for yourself and holding on to what’s happened, that’s only allowing him more power and more control over your life, and he doesn’t deserve another second. So be happy. And move forward.’ I’m not perfect at following her advice — what daughter is perfect at following her mother’s advice? But I do try to follow it every day.”

-Elizabeth Smart went on NPR’s Fresh Air to read from her memoir, My Story, and talk to Terry Gross. Smart, kidnapped from her parents’ home at age 14 in 2002, is now 25, married, and runs a foundation. Sounds like she has a good mom.

Lots more here, with a warning that they get into intense detail about her imprisonment and rape, and that things get sort of strangely jocular. (Gross: “Do you mind if I ask if his breath was terrible?”) [NPR]