*Saturday, Oct. 1st, 2011: I am grateful for reconnections. Tonight, I hung out with some high school friends I hadn't seen in about five years. FIVE YEARS!!! When did time go by so quickly that five years could pass by without me feeling it? Anywho, I met up for dinner with the three of them plus two others at one of their houses and we chatted, caught up, reminiscenced on old times and got drunky drunk drunk. It was so great to sit and talk with people about our upbringing, my family, their families, DC and social justices issues. The conversations would usually always find a way of coming back to the flaws in our education system so it was exciting to get riled up with them about that issue and to share my person experience(s) I've had with urban youth and the crappy education system. At the end of the night (3am) I went home and went to bed feeling the utmost amount of gratitude. I am grateful to have the opportunity to reconnect with such incredible human beings and I am grateful and excited for the future outings we will have as well.
*Sunday, Oct. 2nd, 2011: Today I am grateful for my brother...for many reasons, but mainly because I love him so much. He and I have been talking a lot on the phone recently because he's been struggling and I've been struggling and it's been (in some sick way) wonderful to complain and cry to each other about our woes. He is such an incredible man and I wish he could see that. He brightens my day, makes me happier, motivates me, inspires me and makes me feel needed. Whenever he calls, he needs me to listen and it's so fulfilling to feel needed by someone, especially my brother. I love being the person he comes to with everything and I love being able to encourage and give him every pep talk I can think of...today, I am grateful for all this and for my brother's huge heart. His enormous heart didn't even question for a moment as to whether he should buy me a plane ticket home for Christmas...he just did it. He didn't second guess it, worry about it or question it...he just did it. My heart has been overflowing with joy and appreciation for him for many reasons, but especially for his gift of round trip airfare to Boise, ID and back on December 22nd-29th!!! Mark your calendars, west coast, Katie's comin' home!!!
*Monday, Oct. 3rd, 2011: I never thought I'd say this, but today...listen up, today I am grateful for my job...don't fall over in astonishment...it came as a shocker to me as well. Because of the transition, they "need" someone to go into the community room and be present there from 9am-2pm. I willingly volunteered to do it. I got to talk, laugh and have fun with around ten senior ladies and it was a blast. I gave a health talk on vision as you age and it was good to have that dialogue with them. THEN, if that wasn't good enough, a man came in at around 3:30pm and asked for some help. Since I am literally the only one here right now, I invited him into my office and we talked. He took off his sunglasses and I tried not to let my physical appearance show my reaction to his face. But he had a blood red left eye and a huge bruise around his left eye socket. I kept as strong of eye contact as I could so he wouldn't know that I was alarmed by his face. He began asking me questions about what Emmaus offers and what kind of programs we run. I told him about our program and gave him a copy of the activities schedule and elaborated on everything we offer. He was so gracious and so eager to talk, that I just listened. He told me his name, where he lived, his past, why he was looking for a senior center and he finally said, "I'm sorry for my face...I got mugged about a week ago and it's actually looking better. The swelling has gone down, see?" I said, "it looks like it's healing really well. Did you go to the doctor?" He said yes and then laughed. He laughed and then he said, "well, I'm alive so that's the good thing, right?" He made me smile and I said, "Amen, *Kyle, amen." He then went on to tell me all about his mental health issues, physical health issues and the many, many, many drugs he's on. Regardless, at the end of our time together, he said, "it was so great to meet you and I will look forward to seeing you tomorrow, Miss Katie." I said, "Thanks, *Kyle, I hope this center is just the right fit for you." He smiled as he scooted himself out of my office and said, "me too, Miss, me too..." I am grateful for the opportunity I had to see Jesus today and for my job because it was the avenue that He used to remind me of His presence...
***Name has been changed for obvious reasons.
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