A Step in the Right Direction

When I was growing up it was assumed my siblings and I would all get an education. It wasn’t planned or pushed upon us but rather it was simply assumed. It was a hard lesson for me when I realized that many people do not have a great start in life. Many people are at a real disadvantage simply because there is another assumption at work for them which says, “Don’t bother trying. You are not going to amount to much anyway.” Whether that is passed down the family line or spoken out of years of anger and bitterness, it generally hits the mark – in the heart and spirit of the child.

When I start a new program at the Correctional Centre on any given Tuesday morning, the thoughts that run through my mind as I look into the eyes of these incarcerated women is, “What has been spoken over you, when did you decide to stop believing in yourself and what is going to wake you up to who you are and what you can be?”

With that in mind I always start the session with this: “You got out of bed this morning and you came to this program. Good for you. Every step taken in the right direction is a step well taken.”

It’s the little things, the little words and showing up that make a big difference.

For more information on Open Door Outreach visit www.opendoorpei.ca