This is a Christmas story ........ real so real ...
I am sharing about when I was working in a London Hostels with teens and twenties. This event - I will never forget. Context = A late night gathering of BHP's who have lived lives NOT like ours. ( maybe your life has been experienced similar to them?)
I quoted my starting my group-work activity::
I started by giving each member of the group a little Christmas tree the size if a 5 pence coin
Then I asked what feelings they had -
when seeing these these little Christmas Trees.
As usual, many had difficulty to contact & articulate how they feel.
Out-spilled words like
'I hate Christmas',
'I don't like Christmas',
'I have no money to buy, not even, one present.'
*
I have worked/led 5 different residential communities in my life - with youngsters who lived with their seasonal reflection "I hate Christmas".
On top of this I have spent years travelling to different towns and cities conducting group work with young torn-apart lives. Some rejected - all of the dejected.
I remember near Christmas ............ sitting with a group of three after our evening meal in the YMCA. I asked them a question - a BECOMING question. = 'If I gave you £10 to spend - what would you do with it?'
Heads dropped. Thinking time ...... then the first to speak said "I would buy a Christmas present for my Nan" The second one spoke after a long pause:: "I would go out and buy some boots or trainers because the only ones I have are full of holes and my feet get totally sodden in the cold wet weather" .................................. The Third guy paused somewhat longer ( I filling up with tears as I type these words for you - as I remember ) ....................................Then he spoke, head bowed, no eye contact "I wouldn't take the money. I have never had so much money and I don't know what I could do with it"
!!!!!!!!!!
*Everyone we meet is fighting a battle we know nothing about* Whatever their behaviour - trust that they are doing their best - it costs nothing if we are wrong but benefits count massively if we are right ........... this act is called 'Love'.
Yesterday I posted that you/me - everyone having a 'UPSTREAM' ............ often never revealed to ANYONE.
EVERYONE HAS AN UPSTREAM
YET the experiences live on in the memory (in our gut) of the beautiful human - in pain especially at Christmas ..........
I always say - it is vital to let it out. SPILL. If you cannot share with a person you trust - at least write out all your feelings & experiences. EVEN if no-one ever reads your words. You can destroy your written experiences if you wish because the main release it that very act of writing it letting it out.
ᖻᓍᑘᗩᖇᘿᗷᘿᗩᑘᖶᓰᖴᑘᒪ
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