Ep. 111-The Byte: Jill Langhus-Griffin

Jill created Liluye, an organization dedicated to helping those who have survived human trafficking. In this shorter episode, hear how having a pen pal, even one that is given to you by your sister, can change your entire life.

Please note: This track may include some explicit language.

Transcript

Hi there,

And welcome to another episode of Bite-sized Blessings.

This week,

My guest is formidable.

Jill Langis Griffin has an interesting story.

She first became an ambassador on World Pulse,

And I think you'll remember that episode where I interviewed the founder,

Yancina Larson,

Oh so long ago.

Well,

Jill became an ambassador on that site,

Helping women and children who were writing in,

Counseling them,

Giving them advice,

But more importantly,

Listening to their stories.

Through this work,

She's created her own great work,

L'Illuye,

An organization dedicated to raising awareness about human trafficking,

But also helping those who survived.

In the episode,

Jill explains just how she was drawn to create this incredible organization,

But also she gives a little more detail as to what L'Illuye is all about.

But on their website,

You can find out a little bit more,

And there will be a link under the episode show notes to that website.

On that website,

You can find out just a little bit more about L'Illuye.

They provide training for trafficked survivors.

There's a really insightful and powerful blog.

There's a list of resources.

L'Illuye says knowledge is power,

And that is so true.

Awareness and knowledge can save lives.

And then L'Illuye also lists their partners.

They partner with many global organizations that share their values,

But of course,

They're also partnering with all those survivors who have lived through the horrors of being trafficked.

And that brings me to another item of note.

There are some trigger warnings for this episode.

Sexual assault and human slavery are discussed.

When you listen to this episode,

Please take care.

So now,

Episode 111 of Bite-sized Blessings.

Well,

Actually,

I was in French club when I was in high school along with my sister.

And I really don't remember why,

But supposedly they ran out of French pen pals.

So we ended up with English pen pals.

Well,

My sister did,

And she actually started dating somebody in the Royal Air Force.

And I'm like bugged her,

Bugged her,

Bugged her,

Bugged her.

I'm like,

I don't want one too.

So she gave all of her friends first,

You know,

Like you do.

And then I'm like,

No,

No.

So I finally,

I guess she must have got fed up with me asking.

So then I started writing to Tim.

Well,

I think actually it was serendipitous to come across worldpulse.

Org.

It used to be dot com,

So that's why I hesitate.

I have to switch around in my head.

But I think that that was definitely a game changer,

Hands down.

I credit worldpulse with regaining my voice and claiming my vision,

Really finding my vision.

But I think I mentioned to you before about meeting my husband,

Because I know that we've had past lives together.

And we have a shared,

Very special bond.

We were originally pen pals.

We actually started writing when I was in my undergraduate studies.

And now we've been married 30 years.

So that's pretty miraculous.

When you think he's British and I'm American,

That's quite a lot of space,

Time and space to have traveled and think,

Even if you don't believe in past lives.

But just that first time we actually met physically and you're just like,

We kind of felt like it felt like brother,

Sister,

Kind of like bond.

Like we knew there was a resonance there.

And you just can't you can't explain that.

You can't rationalize something like that,

I don't think.

How did you come to do this whole pen pal thing?

Well,

Actually,

I was in French club when I was in high school,

Along with my sister.

And I really don't remember why,

But supposedly they ran out of French pen pals.

So we ended up with English pen pals.

Well,

My sister did.

And she actually started dating somebody in the Royal Air Force.

So I'm like bugger,

Bugger,

Bugger,

Bugger.

I'm like,

I don't want one too.

So she gave all of her friends first,

You know,

Like you do.

And then I'm like,

No,

No.

So I finally I guess she must have got fed up with me asking.

So then I started writing to Tim,

My husband,

When I was probably a sophomore in my undergraduate studies.

So and the rest is kind of history,

Because then I went to London for the first time,

Maybe a couple of years after that.

And I actually met him for the first time because he was paid his way out of the Royal Air Force.

So he was getting out.

So that's why he was stationed in London for like six months or something.

But I went there for a month long studying with UWGB,

Where I was staying with where I was getting my undergraduate degree.

And so we got that opportunity to like,

Oh,

I'll get to meet him.

So the rest is kind of history,

Because then he came for the first time to the US for like four months after that.

And yeah,

I'm pretty sure that most people don't expect that they're going to find a husband when they start a pen pal relationship.

Yeah,

It had to have been a surprise for everyone.

Was your family like,

What are you doing?

Well,

Actually,

My husband and I were just talking about this the other night.

My mom was actually like,

Can you find somebody in England?

I was horrified.

I'm like,

Thanks,

Mom,

For that photocopy.

That's like seriously.

And my oldest sister was even like to him.

She's like,

Or maybe she said to me,

She's like,

Oh,

He just wants a green card.

I'm like,

What is wrong with these people?

Seriously.

So not a lot of support.

But still you persevered and you two have been married for how long?

30 years now.

Yeah,

There is definitely something to that idea,

Because I've experienced it like three or four times in my life where I've walked into a room,

Or I've met someone,

And instantly,

Instantly.

The first time it happened was with my friend Linda.

And I had graduated from University of Illinois,

Chicago,

Had spent six months trying to find a job up in Chicago.

Finally,

You know,

Signed up with a temp agency and got randomly,

Those are air quotes there,

Randomly sent to this office as a temp.

And I was there for probably about two or three months.

And someone approached me one day and said,

Hey,

Someone wants to meet with you about a possible,

You know,

Actual position here,

Permanent position.

And I said,

Okay.

I mean,

I was so nervous.

I was so nervous because this was not,

It was a nonprofit grocery co-op.

This was not something that I wanted to do or even thought about doing.

I just got sent there by the temp agency.

So I walk into the,

I opened the door of the room.

I walk in and there's Linda.

And she was a VP at the time.

She's sitting at the table.

And I just looked at her and I thought,

Oh my God.

I mean,

Instantly this feeling of finding home and recognition just washed over me.

And keep in mind,

This is someone I'd never seen before.

It was like I'd found my home.

And it was so powerful and visceral,

But I'd never experienced anything like that before.

So at the time I thought,

Wow,

That was strange.

I don't,

Huh.

So,

You know,

Then over the years,

I think it was there for about two and a half years,

She and I got to be better friends and we'd go to plays together or get lunch together or just hang out.

You know,

She was older than me,

20,

25 years older than me.

We just became the best of friends.

We were both loved movies so much.

So we'd go to these art houses and see these really strange movies together.

Then we'd have a conversation.

It was really this incredible gift to me,

This beautiful friendship.

And I think we were absolutely fated to meet and find each other again in this life because she's done a lot for me.

She did a lot for me before she died.

And after she died,

She also has given me so many things.

I mean,

The inheritance that she gave me after she passed away,

Allowed me to walk the Camino,

Which was such a seminal moment in my life.

I would have never done that because it was,

It's very expensive and I don't have a lot of money,

But because of Linda,

I was able to do this trip on the Camino.

You know,

I've had two or three other people in my life.

When I met them,

I was like,

Oh,

There you are.

It was this instant feeling of knowing.

And when I feel it now,

I just automatically think,

Oh,

We're going to have work to do together.

I mean,

You and I are going to know each other and we're going to go through something.

We're going to do things for each other and give each other gifts in this life or,

You know,

Propel each other into a new life.

You know,

In episode 100,

I talked about meeting my friend through that book and the math conversation at that restaurant.

And that individual,

That whole strange experience changed the trajectory of my life completely in irreversible ways.

But it also shuttled me off into this place where I needed to be in this headspace.

I needed to be into this emotional and mental space.

It changed everything about my life.

So I think,

You know,

You never know when you're going to meet those people who are going to have these really profound impacts on your life.

Thank you so much for listening to this episode of Bite-Sized Blessings.

I need to thank my very inspired and very creative guest,

Jill Langeis-Griffin,

For sharing her stories with me,

But also for sharing her great work and for all the work she's doing for all those who need it.

Thank you so much.

Also,

For sharing her great work and for all the work she's doing for all those who've been trafficked in the world.

For more information on the work that Jill is doing,

There is a link under the episode show notes and then on the treasures page,

There will be additional information.

I need to thank the creators of the music used for this episode.

And yes,

It is season 12.

It's season 12 and episode 111.

Tyga Sound Productions,

Stephen O'Brien,

Music L Files,

Alexander Naccarata,

And Winnie the Moog.

For complete attribution,

Please see the Bite-Sized Blessings website at bitesizedblessings.

Com.

On the website,

You'll find links to other episodes,

To books,

To Lelouye,

To other things and other organizations I think will lighten and brighten your day.

Thank you for listening.

And here's my one request.

Be like Jill.

Do something good for the world.

If not the world,

Start with yourself.

What does that look like?

Does it look like a massage?

Does it look like a walk?

Does it look like a good meal or buying someone a cup of coffee?

Do something beautiful for yourself first and then think about the beautiful things that you can do for the world.