O P I N I O N
THE SOAPBOX
Stand up. Speak up. It’s your turn.
Recently, I spent the evening with a woman who was in the process of detoxing from an opioid.
She impressed me as a very strong determined woman that had the ability to care for others, despite heart-wrenching pain. Neither of us slept, as she worked through her first evening toward her first full day of abstinence from drug, or drink. To pass the time and to divert us from the hard work at hand, she told me a bit about her story. Perhaps the telling of her story was a way for her to solidify her decision that “this is it” and “I’m not living this life anymore.” Whatever the reason, there was a lot of talking through the night and prayer by the both of us.
While I have worked with many people struggling through substance abuse, I never walked through the first life-changing hours with a person who decided to make that life-affirming decision to walk a new path. The courage and determination that I witnessed during that first 24 hours is impressive and not something that I will ever forget. Surprisingly, despite the fact that this brave woman was in a significant amount of pain and discomfort, she remained cognizant and sympathetic to my needs. While this experience was a new one to me, there were aspects of it that reminded me of the obstacles and challenges that I encountered through my own life.
It is difficult to combine all of your personal and professional experiences in a resume, yet with many people, it is the personal experiences that inspire and direct our professional careers.
My own began when I became a single parent at 17. The many years of struggle and trials, amidst determination to find stability gave me a very strong desire to assist other people and families that are also working through obstacles that may seem overwhelming. I am sure that there are many whose paths and work choices are similarly inspired.
I think back to this woman with whom I spent that evening, and wonder if she may find herself at some point, assisting another person through their first 24 hours. There are so many people in our community that need encouragement like this to assist them out of circumstances that may seem insurmountable. One of the common comments that I am always surprised to hear amidst support provided is “what makes everyone give like this, why is everyone helping someone they don’t know?” I usually respond with “we all have our own reasons.” I have shared with you just a little bit of mine.
Many of us who work in social services often wonder if the efforts truly make a difference, and it is often that we are not able to witness those differences.
My next evening of support to this young woman was during that awful cold spike that we all just experienced. I settled myself in for the night on the couch of this home, wrapped in two blankets and fell asleep. When I woke up, I discovered that someone placed a space heater in front of me and turned it on. I was warm and that made me smile. This young woman, who I assisted through her first 24-hours toward sobriety was kind enough to place it, so that I would be warm.
It was in that moment that I knew that I made the right decision and that first evening was not in vain…it meant something. I think about that and still smile. Gestures like this encourage me to continue, one step – and one person – at a time.
Beg to differ? Agree to disagree? Have your own Soapbox to stand on? Submissions of thoughtful prose on topics of general interest are welcome. Send submissions to publisher@manchesterinklink.com
