Sometimes weekly, and sometimes more or less often, reflections from the front lines serving single adults experiencing homelessness, transitioning from pandemic to endemic, hotter than an oven Phoenix Monsoon Summer, disrupting systems and living up to the legacy of a champion. It's been 21 days since my last post and 32 weeks since losing my sense of smell. No new scents on top of bleach, citrus cleaning supplies, and some chemicals; I fear that I am growing used to the inability to smell beloved coffee and chocolate.
And I am not unhoused. I am privileged enough that I could take a break. I didn't plan to not write for three weeks. After an overscheduled week, the husband and I went on a week vacation, and then I spent a week digging through the work that accumulated. No complaints, no regrets. We had a week in clean, fresh, crisp air in the Lake Tahoe area. It was our first time there, and we soaked up every minute.
Per usual, it took me about 2 1/2 days to really disconnect from the phone and its apps, work, and to overcome the guilt of not "working." Life for me at the Human Services Campus really is a vocation not a job. Investing in myself, my relationship with my husband, and recharging is necessary for the long-term health and success of all of us. And the physical distance from the unending demand for services by people experiencing homelessness, gave me the space to reflect in a different way on the status of things, the challenges, and the opportunities. And the literal reflection in the Lake... that natural beauty is a healing balm for the spirit and soul. [Read More...]
