Perspective by Madysson

Perspective by Madysson - April 2022 Scholarship Essay

I felt a tiny tug on the hem of my sweatshirt as I heard a small voice, “Are you here to play with us?” I look down upon a set of bright blue eyes and brown untamed hair who is staring up at me with a look that can only be described as innocent hope. Being caught off guard by the group of children ranging from infants to preteens who filled the room with their mothers and workers of the Stepping Stones Safe Haven, I shook my head as she slipped her small hand into mine.
As she pulled me over to the table, I glanced around at the limited resources including a few worn toys, games, and books as well as an old computer and some tattered furniture. “I get to be blue,” she called out as she pulled out a board game for us to play. My chest tightened as I watched her in awe as it didn’t seem to phase her that she was living in this area with limited space with a dozen other children and their mothers.
My church youth group was spending Spring Break volunteering at several local missions and Stepping Stones was our first stop. Their mission is to assist single women and women with children struggling with homelessness find their next step to health and wholeness. I will be honest; I didn’t know what to expect. We were set to go in and clean their living areas, spend time with the children, and work on the landscaping, but what happened was so much more.
I volunteered this day, but what I really did was listen. I listened to their stories. I listened to their troubles and triumphs. I listened to their kids. The truth is, what I got that day was so much more than what I did for any of them. I gained perspective.
Hannah was physically abused by her ex-boyfriend and had no place to live with her two-year-old son. Raylee dropped out of school and had a string of bad luck that led her to be homeless for 10 months. Tracy had three children and lost her job and then her house. But most of them didn’t look at these experiences as tragedies, they were taking parenting classes, or registering for college classes, or trying to save up money to get out on their own. They were fierce and determined. None of these women and children planned to end up in a home like Stepping Stones, but they were working tirelessly to improve their situation and that takes grit.
The women and children that I met during my volunteer experience were overly appreciative of our time spent trying to improve their day but looking into little Bailey’s eyes as she beat me three times in a row at Sorry! as she flashed me her slightly crooked grin was one of the most inspiring and humbling experiences of my life.