Miss Sarah, why me?

One of the religious communities in town offers weekends of reflection and rejuvenation for homeless people in recovery or with mental illness. The folks that go on this weekend are typically chronically homeless and usually forgotten, or when they're considered, it's with distain. During one of these weekend, there are different activities set up to encourage them to think and reflect on the current state of their lives and what they want, as well as have an opportunity to grow spiritually. Every single person to have gone to this event returns with positive feedback and having gotten something from it, if only to feel unconditional love for the first time in their lives.

Several weeks ago, I told one of my clients, Dinky (name has been changed), about the weekend, and because we trust each other, he signed up. As the time has approached, however, he's become more and more anxious about going. Last week, he said he was mostly just confused but by this afternoon, he was truly upset. He couldn't sleep this week and he had a headache. He said, "Miss Sarah, I know this is a good weekend and you recommended me and all, but what if I do something wrong? I've never done anything like this before." He thought for several seconds, and then sat back in his chair. "I just don't know why you recommended me for this. Why me?"

My heart absolutely broke. Dinky is one of the most thoughtful, considerate and honest clients I have. He works hard to know the right thing to do and does his best to do it, even when he doesn't want to, even though he's living on the street. I told him all of this, and as I went on, his body lifted incrementally. By the time I finished, he said, "Really? I'm all of those things?" I assured him he was and that I had faith in his ability. He nodded, a big smile on his face, and said, "Okay."

One of the most special things about my job is that I get to love people. My hope is that the love I show to them, they show to other people.