Internship Domestic Abuse Shelter

Today I joined a Parent Educator in a group session at a domestic abuse shelter, first let me just say I wish I would have ripped a hole in my dress, rubbed dirt on my knees or at least messed my hair up before going into the building. If I were these families and I saw some girl in red lipstick and a dainty flowery dress on attempting to approach me I would have immediately felt like making fun of her, or at least put a wall up in assumption that this girl can’t relate to what I’m going through, I guess I know for next time, right?  Though on another note I really needed to experience what I did today, growing up in a small Northern Michigan town I can’t say I have been introduced to any element of a shelter beyond what I’ve seen on TV or read about in college textbooks. I won’t lie I was completely taken back once entering the shelter, babies were crawling everywhere, kids were running havoc and these mothers that I swear seemed so youthful and similar to my age we’re distraught, close hearted, thick skinned, close minded and I’ll say less than enthusiastic about joining our group session, though reluctantly they did.

            I wish I could explain what was going on in my head as I was observing these mothers listen, interact and parent all in an environment that I couldn’t imagine having to call my temporary home. On one hand I was counting how blessed I am, I became humbled like never before and was thinking about everything in my closet and home that I haven’t touched in months and that I could give to these people. On the other hand I was thinking of how these people got here, what happened in their lives to land them here? And then one of the women said she believed she was here because God was trying to make her stronger for her kids, I swear if I could have started crying right then I might have. She is a mother of six with one more on the way, all of her children are under the age of seven, she’s temporarily living in a homeless shelter, a small cubical for her entire family, she asked all the right questions, how to be better, how to bond better, how to parent better. I felt myself just wanting to hug her and her baby; I just wanted her to know that it will get better, that it has to get better.

            This experience just helped me verify that I am in the right place right now, being able to see these things, experience these things, be a part of these things, they’re changing my life. They are molding me and I couldn’t ask for anything better to help mold me. I called my mom after leaving the shelter and asked if I could adopt a baby or two, she said one for sure, and though we were both kidding, I felt something take me over, I felt inspired. It was nice to feel inspired, I’ve missed a little inspiration in my life and can’t wait to go back to the shelter and hopefully feel more comfortable to really open up and talk to these individuals.