When you’ve had loved ones in the past who struggled with addiction. And you sometimes went to the dealers and begged them with all your heart and soul to please, PLEASE don’t sell any drugs to your loved one any more. And you shared your hopes and dreams and how the drugs leave hopes and dreams in shattered shards at your feet.
And while you know it’s up to your loved one to work through the addiction, can the dealer PLEASE be a backstop to say “no” when your loved one isn’t able to?
And decades later, life circles, as you bring a woman to one of her dealers in his tent, and you beg him with the same hopes, dreams, and pleas. And he says he gets it, and she’s a nice girl, and he wants her to be alive, with a chance for stable housing, so he’ll say no, even if she begs.
And you believe nothing, and yet you have a glimmer of hope. Yet you won’t hold your breath.
And a week has passed.
Today, my person told me that she saw him, even though she was avoiding him, as she’s trying to stay clean. She didn’t go to him, but he went to her. He told her he’s not offering any meth for sale or for free. He just wanted to say hi and he hopes she’s doing well.
Sometimes life hands you perfection on an invisible silver platter that is realer than real, and still might crumble to dust at any moment.
But you take the crystallized moment of perfection, however fleeting it might or might not be.
Today was that day.
Meanwhile, you had a very long day, and you’re living in swirling stories of people you spoke to today, as we don’t have enough shelter for the number of people who need places to be.
And you’re going to do something ELSE, and maybe even have a scoop of ice cream. But first you have to find the perfect pretty teacup or bowl. Because containers matter.
And you wonder if you might be too fussy. And if you are, so what? And you found the perfect pretty teacup for this one scoop. And you might need a different perfect cup if you decide to have a second scoop.
And what a luxurious life to have the quest for the perfect cup for the perfect scoop of ice cream as your evening goal. Wishing everyone had problems like this. Rooting for everyone, every day.
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Lynelle Wilcox has served people experiencing homelessness in Salem for six years - initially volunteering at warming centers and homeless events. As people shared their stories through the years, she saw how much a smile and hello can create commonality, connection, and sometimes hope. And hope can change everything. She writes about some of the things she’s learned along the way, and shares some of the stories. She adores her kids, and loves vivid colors, cats, happy clothes, music, cooking, skies, dogs, and daisies
