Serenity Place

I have recently begun volunteering at Serenity Place, a sort of halfway house for women with substance abuse problems. Sixteen women live together in this house. When they have therapy sessions, half of them go to therapy, and the other half stay and watch the children (around 35 kids, all under the age of 5). With a ratio of toddlers to women at 4:1, it's obvious that they could use some help. When I first signed up, I thought that I would be babysitting little brats. What actually ends up happening is that the kids entertain themselves, and the women just want someone to talk to. Most of them are there for a duration of six months, and they do not meet a lot of people from the "real" world.

As lame as this may sound, part of me can identify with these women. Bob Jones is kind of similar in that is forces a lifestyle on its students that is not their own. But truthfully, most of me doesn't identify with these women, although most of them are the same age as me or within a few years. Tonight one of them said, "I could be like you, if I wanted. I could have a career. But I made bad decisions. I knew what I was doing, but I did it anyway."

The same woman said that when she took her baby to the doctor today she gave the receptionist her address (at Serenity Place), and the receptionist changed her attitude, saying, "Oh, I know that address." It's amazing how we take a tiny bit of pride in others' mistakes, thinking that at least our problems aren't "that bad". We're pathetic.

All that to say that Serenity Place really is playing a part in changing and shaping me, and I'm thankful.