Emily Dickenson said that, “Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul – and sings the tunes without the words – and never stops at all”. When you are homeless or challenged in any great way, it is difficult to feel hopeful, but it is the time that you must.
My homelessness was a long and difficult journey that began with the stroke of the governor’s ink pen in 2009. I was a teacher and like thousands of other teachers in the state, I was pink-slipped. I lost everything. My house with views of the Puget Sound, my second home across the street from a very green golf course… Fast forward four years and I am living with relatives in a tiny apartment and I am sleeping on a well-worn sofa. I was desperate.
I called RAIN and bugged anyone who would listen (Mostly Brittany), to please help. From the moment I arrived at the complex my life changed. I had a bedroom with a door that I could close. I had the time and space that I needed to rest. I could go to work and not have to worry about how I was going to pay rent, where I would sleep, what I would eat. It might sound strange but in a transitional living facility, I found freedom, courage, rest, and peace. RAIN allowed me to save the money that I needed for my new life. RAIN allowed me to be a whole person on my own terms.
As I take this next step (I am moving out tomorrow). My life is full of hope and possibility again. I can see my way forward. So in closing, a wise person said, “Whatever you do, hold on to hope! The tiniest thread will twist into an unbreakable cord. Let hope anchor you in the possibility that this is NOT the end of your story; that change will bring you to peaceful shores.” I am on those peaceful shores. As I walk out of the doors of this building, I feel a sense of purpose again; It’s like I’ve been reborn and I am so grateful.