Notes from Starfire's retreat

Letting go of guilt Feelings you'll not be enough.

Trust the time you give, however little...is a LOT.

Admit when you're

Stuck.

"A bad day together - is already better than a great day alone."

Trust in serendipity

Magic

It will come - not out of the perfect plan.

We have to look for the little steps.

There's not one idea, ever. Not one way. Don't go it alone.

"There are a lot of things that didn't work out, there are a lot of things in her life that I will never fix, or change. But if nothing else, she has people in her life - and she's happier."

There's an element of risk - inviting people - building community - can seem scary to us... we fear rejection, or messing up... but to the people  we're inviting in, a lot of times it's exciting, a new invitation.

"Vonceil's a poet. A very powerful poet. She has met people who respect her art in the poetry community - people she can run into when we're out. It's still coming full-circle for me - what I'm learning from Vonceil and what she's learning from me."

Everything we're doing is for the greater good. One day.... it just makes sense. You just never know how this thing that you're doing will have a reason.

You can't plan it any better.

It's a journey. Trust the process.

"This job has led me to places I never thought I'd be. I'm sure Lauren wasn't aware of how big this was going to get."

As staff - we are significant in people's lives. There are only so many people who get that call. Our work is to build authenticity. It seeps beyond the work/life boundary and becomes part of who we are. That's a privilege.

Other citizens - then - can gauge what they can mean in people with disabilities' lives.

There's power in what we do. It's important. It's worth standing up for.