In the days ahead, I will be sharing Moments of Impact- life experiences that ground and inspire me in my work. I was introduced to the idea of sharing Moments of Impact by Hannah Hasan who led a workshop on Storytelling for Mission.
X first came with his older sister. She hated that she had to bring him along. He was wild. Always getting into fights, he was a hot head and out of control. I can't tell you how many times I had to hoist him over my shoulder to take him home. kicking and screaming the whole way. His dad would answer the door and start yelling immediately. I was relieved to release him and felt guilty leaving him. He kept coming.
Beach, mountains, zip lines, big cities...we've been many places together. He kept coming.
His family was being displaced. They needed housing. We worked to keep them in place. His father moved out. His father died. He got thrown out of class, out of freedom school, out of school. Blues lights came to his house. He was so angry.
He kept coming. His love of play, his athleticism, they began to show more than his anger. Then, hugs everyday and joyful greetings.
I recently joked, "I am your third mom, once removed." He replied, "No. You're my second mom. You gotta get that right."
