I asked my mom how she was able to not take her job home at night and her answer point blank was “I do take it home. It is how I’m so good at my job”. It was in that moment that I came to a few realizations. 1) It is ok to take your job home. We are humans working with other humans in desperate situations, empathy is natural, 2) It is the people who do take their jobs home in this field who make this space successful, and 3) Finding balance is essential. Taking care of your heart and body allows for your work to continue.
This point was further driven home when I reflected on Bruce Carron’s speech during our tour of the Talmadge Gateway Apartments. Seeing the relationship he had foraged with Professor Lewis proved how integral it is to make these connections with community member and be not only of help, but also a friend. Every statement he made pulled not only at my heart strings, but also made me think about how important our generation is towards fighting the housing crisis.
During my time at my mothers affordable senior living site, we both became very fond of a gentleman named Albert. He was incredibly kind and a veteran. My mom helped him learn how to utilize government assistance for food and took his phone call any time of the day. This wasn’t just an occurrence with Albert, she made it a point with every resident to let them know she was available for them to talk to and help by any means necessary.
It is not to say that working in this way is not taxing on the body and mind, however, I could not stomach leaving what I saw on Saturday and not taking it home with me. All weekend, I kept reliving Bruce's speech and being reminded of every time I could sit down with Albert in the community room at Pisgah village and eat thanksgiving dinner with him. The residents at my mother's senior site for many years were the people I spent most holidays and Friday nights with. Whether we were fighting over bingo calls or listening to Christmas carols during our winter potlucks, I could and can not imagine not taking these experiences and friendships home with me at night.
"I'll always have one foot in the door there. How could I not?", a statement my mother made that reflects not only her work ethic, but how this field of work embeds itself into the construct of your being. We are human, working with real human experiences, at some point, our lives begin to interlock. It is in this interlocking of stories that our shared lived experience becomes our legacy.