The 3 woman posed above with me have shared the largest portion of my 17:25 years with Covenant House. I didn't think much about it until I posted the picture on our alumni page and saw how many former kids commented on it (positively, thankfully). These woman, along with many others along the way, have not only shared my history of serving tens of thousands of kids but also some of the personal things I've experienced along the way.
Roz, pictured far left, was there when I first was hired. Although we didn't work closely for many of my years because she was doing grant writing, she and I became inseparable when we ran YouthBuild beginning in June of 2010. She knows her stuff, is professional in every sense of the word, and I learned a lot from her (still do!)
Erin, pictured next to her, began a few months after me back in 1997/98 (can't recall) so she and I shared many early years together...learning the ropes, trying to figure stuff out. She and I shared an office together for a long time and would talk, cry, and laugh together about kids, staff, and life in general. Although she hasn't worked for us for several years, she still serves many of our former clients in her new capacity around Atlantic City, a fact that gives me such joy, knowing that some of our kids are still getting great care.
Katie, far right, is heart through and through. She's one that would remember kid's birthdays, buy them a plant when they were moving into their new apartment, and have ten thousand babies to supply Christmas gifts for on her Aftercare roster. It's no wonder to me that when she left us a year or so ago, she went into nursing. She always put the kids before herself and went above and beyond.
Together with these woman, we've celebrated graduations, successful transitions, wept at funerals/memorial services, trained on new processes, and seen many kids and staff come and go. Although Roz and I still still work together, I love that whenever I see or speak to Erin and Katie, we pick up right where we left off. Each of them were present in my life when Mark and I moved (twice), when my grandparents, cousin, sister-in-law, and dad died, and through all my many position changes (and for them as well).
Shared history...Although I would not label any of these woman "friends"in the formal sense, they are fellow fighters of the good fight, ones I've been in the battle with together, along side of each other, waging war to save our kids against the powers of darkness. They have been loving, safe, dependable, and bright spots along the journey of our kids but also for me. There is something very deep and binding in that for me and I thank God that He saw fit to have our paths cross.
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