What I give to you

     "A thousand words will not leave so deep an impression as one
       deed." ~Henrix Ibsen

So, I'm moving from this crisis shelter and I'm realizing all the time I've devoted here, all the relationships I've put on hold in order to give what I have to the women and their process of growth.

The shelter has also been a huge gift to me. In watching the women change I'm given so much more. In the time that I've live here I've seen relationships with family restored, women get jobs again, and moving on into other chapters of their lives, changed.

I know I will continue giving time to the shelter until there is nothing to give time to. Just not so exhaustively.

Here's my promise to myself. I promise to try and sleep more. I promise to keep my apartment a place of safety to take off my mask. I promise to keep trekking. I promise to try and hit the pause button every once in a while just to breath.

My promise to my family. I promise to be the aunt, sister, daughter to you I haven't had time to be. To talk with you and let you in just a little bit more. Even if it's uncomfortable and stretching for me.

To my friends. I will love you and spend time with you and heal. I will smother some of you because I've needed you desperately and just haven't had the extra energy to reach out. I need your shoulder to cry on and your ear to listen. And I promise to be the same for you.

I give this new chapter of my life a chance.