Worlds Collide.

It's a funny thing, working at a homeless hostel.
Everyday, you walk in with a semi-idea of what you may encounter, but there truly is no way to tell what will actually happen.
You can never know if you'll leave feeling accomplished, angry, hopeful, or completely exhausted. You may feel all that and more.
Sometimes, you can't even begin to believe the things you encounter and the people you meet. You walk away amazed. You walk away knowing that there is still good in this world. And sometimes, you just walk away humbled.

I know, for me, this very last thing happens often. There have many times when I'm amazed by the people I work with. Of course, there are times when I'm angered and sad and unsure, but I have also been amazed and humbled.

I recently had a friend visit from the States. In deciding to bring him to The House, I was making a huge decision of bringing him into a big thing in my life. This place has been a huge source of pain and joy for me, but also a place where I have been able to grow from spending time with some people who have taught me incredible lessons. By bringing my friend to The House, I was able to bring one part of my life into the other and see how they come together-whether it be awkwardly or beautifully. I didn't get to introduce my friend to many residents as many weren't around, but he did get to meet some of the staff and to explore the layout of the hostel. We did, though, see some of the residents around and I greeted them.

Later on, after my friend had returned to the States, I was up talking to one of the residents and he asked, "Did you have a friend over from America?"
I was astounded. Not only did he have a pretty good memory, but he also couldn't have been completely sure who that strange man was that I was walking around with.
He didn't stop there. He continued to ask about my friend and what he was doing in life and where he was from and how we knew each other.

I remember leaving the flat lounge feeling completely warm. I was amazed. I was humbled.

The people I get to hang out with daily aren't people that are treated so great in society and I'll be honest, some of them have done things that aren't great. And I spend a lot of my time getting to know all things about them (even things that aren't so great), but to know that this man wanted to not only know about me, but about someone who I love dearly was inspiring.

This is just another example of the people I see daily giving what they can. They give a moment of their time, they share a piece of their story, they offer a cuppa, or they just smile and say hi. I'm not saying every day is easy as cake with them, but there are mini-moments that become big impacts. This is one of those.

I don't think my friend will ever know how much this guy cared about him, but I saw it in his face and in his questions. When worlds collide, special things can happen without us even being aware of them or knowing that our little actions can have a huge impact.