Out of the deepest pits...

I have yet to meet someone who has never been in the pit of despair- that point (or points) in your life when you do not know how you can keep moving forward. There seems like there absolutely is no hope anywhere in your life anymore. If there is hope, you definitely cannot see it or feel it.

There have been various points in my life when I felt this despair. The day my mother and I were evicted from our home, the night I found out my oldest brother died…Those days and nights seem to be numerous throughout my life.

While many people may not see being homeless or the loss of a sibling as a blessing, and even I didn’t at first, those moments in my life allowed me to grow as a person. When I was homeless, I helped build and fix homes. I also volunteered as a camp counselor at a camp for children and adults with special needs. I was overwhelmed with the hope and joy expressed in all of the people I helped that summer.

When my mother and I finally moved into an apartment, a friend of mine and I gathered donated blankets to hand out to homeless people in New York City. On Christmas morning, before we opened presents, we drove to NYC to hand them out.

We saw a man lying on a bunch of newspapers. As we approached him, we were unsure of what to say to him. We handed him two blankets and his eyes lit up. I could see his despair turn into hope. That moment was and still is such a meaningful moment in my life.

Someone close to me once said that everybody has things in their life that are beyond their control, but what we can control is how we react to those situations. There is a choice to be made…

What will your choice be?