Shelter

So I am slowly becoming less and less a stay-at -home-mom. I am going back to the shelter once a week. I'll be working 1 night a week for 4 hours. I am really excited about this. Wednesday's are usually my "night off" but sadly I usually forget to make plans so I end up wasting my time at the mall (or seeing crap movies by myself). So when the shelter called to offer me a flexible position I said yes.

When my mat leave ended at the beginning of this year I planned to work one night a week. However at that time they only needed me on the week ends. I really wasn't up for that so I had to hand in my notice. I did make it clear to them that I might be interested down the road. It was really hard quitting. I had worked there for 5 years and would be leaving many pals. It's the type of job that leaves you wondering. What happened to so and so? Did so and so quit crack? Did so and so get help for their mental health? I just find myself wondering how everyone is doing.

It's not that I haven't visited in the past 22 months. I have visited very regularly (in my opinion). Having worked there for 5 years, I don't really recall many ex staff coming to visit. I was there every 1-3 months just to say hello. I had planned to volunteer but have found it hard to actually get myself there. It seems when there is no commitment, there is little to help me remember. I would always say "yeah i want to go every couple weeks" - but then life gets busy and Stinx keeps me jumping through hoops.

So now I will for sure get out of the house every Wednesday, I will for sure know how all my pals are doing, and I will get to do what I love. Don't get me wrong, I love mothering Stinx more than anything, tis why I am only working 4 hours a week. But I really enjoy working with the homeless too.

When I left work because of mat leave, I really needed the break. Now being away for almost 2 years, I feel refreshed. I feel like a softer human being. Maybe not quite as crusty and burnt out. I almost fear that I have regressed to my super naive self. I guess my tough skin better grow back quickly.. I've forgotten what its like to be called every dirty name on earth. It really isn't like that very often... (Hmm.. am I being forgetful? haha). But really, working as little as once a week I don't think I will have to deal with too much stress. And really, for the most part, the clients are the most amazing people I have met. They have so little, but have wonderful hearts and great sense of humours.

We'll see how my re-entry to the "work force" goes.