One More Night

Sometimes it seems like nothing you do ever really accomplishes anything. You go to your job, for example, day after day, and things just always end up the same. Progress in anything is very elusive and it seems like you’re just spinning your wheels. You become somewhat disillusioned and wonder what the value is of even trying any more.
Then something off the wall happens. Someone says something, or something happens that shows real progress toward the goal. Then it all seems worthwhile again.
Such was the case yesterday. We’ve been here about four months now, and it seems many days like the day to day rituals are just that. We get up, get the girls off to school, pick them up, feed them, etc. Nothing seems to change much from day to day.
Yesterday, however, one of the parents who was keeping one of the girls overnight called and wanted to know if the daughter could stay over one more night than planned. They explained that the daughter was behaving very well and had been very pleasant and appropriate and they wanted to keep her another night.
That doesn’t sound like much unless you knew this girl when she first came here to the home. If you knew that, you’d appreciate the quantum leap this girl has made in the few months she’s been here
It was a real sense of accomplishment to know that we had a small part in the changes for the better that have come into this young woman’s life. Oh, there will be times coming up when it will again seem like nothing is being accomplished and there’s no purpose to what we all do here. But as we continue down the road and witness even more of these kinds of incidents, they will continue to give us renewed strength to go on.