When we came to work here, we had no idea what we were getting into - and I certainly don't mean that in a negative way. I just mean there are many parts of our job that no one could possibly explain to us. You can't understand them until you live them. For the last year, we've been learning about all the pieces and parts that can't be explained.
We establish relationships with our tenants, and it is our desire that those relationships be completely authentic. We aren't in this thing to be part of their lives just because our job descriptions say we have to. We are willing and eager to be part of their lives for as long as they'll have us, even after they leave WillowBridge.
In some cases, tenants don't choose to continue those personal relationships. We understand that! Some of them may need to move on from what life was here, so they can live out the next chapters of their stories.(It's no different than it would be for all of us with jobs or places we've lived in our own past.) Others may not make a deep, clicking connection with us, which is also completely fine. (It's no different than it would be for all of us with people who used to be part of our every day, but now they're not.)
But for some of our tenants, the relationship becomes like family. We love them and they love us, and some of them crave relationships that stay and don't wander in and out like so many they've known. And one of our tenants, who has moved out, has chosen to keep us as an active part of her life. It's been interesting to switch into friend mode, rather than advocate/tenant mode. We love it. We hope it stays that way for a long time - and we're committed to being present for her!
She has a little boy that we've grow to love so dearly. You've read about him before. We met him when he was just an infant and now we've been part of his life for a full year. We love him and he loves us - and now and then he comes to visit!
He came to see us this week and spent the night, and we had the BEST time together. I thought I'd show you a few little glimpses!
He arrived Monday night, and we ate dinner together before going on a walk...
By the time we got home from our walk, it was just about his bedtime, so we did that routine and he did NOT want to go to sleep. I eventually went in to get him and rocked him for a while. I prayed over his life and whatever God has for him. Shortly after I finished praying, he relaxed right into sleep and we didn't hear from him again...
...until 6 a.m. on Tuesday! Whew! That is earlier than I planned on my day off! We sat on the couch for two more hours. I thought for sure he would fall back to sleep, but he did not. So he played with a puzzle while Ryan fixed breakfast for us.
When he woke up, he was still in a snuggling mood, and I didn't mind.
3 comments:
What a cute little overnight guest!!
Awwwww....SO sweet and also nice of you to still be there for him and his Mommy!
That is so great that you get to continue to have a relationship with him and his mom. And hopefully you had another day off to recuperate from your "not relaxing" day off!
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