Free Christmas Lunch On
The Gold Coast
Queensland, Australia
Random Acts Of Christmas Kindness Presents . . .
I want to share this with all of Santas Gold Coast helpers... it is from my friend Graham Long from the Wayside Chapel in Kings Cross, Sydney. That is where I volunteered on Christmas Day with my family for many years...
One of the kids said casually, "Mum told me that I was the mistake of her life". In a tone that belonged to a discussion of the weather, one after another of these kids echoed, "Yeah, my mum told me that I was the biggest mistake of her life too". One girl said, "My mum would rather take drugs and prostitute herself than be my mother. I was placed in care at 6 years old and I remember it clearly. I was in foster care until I was 11 and then I ran away and ever since I've been looking after myself on the streets."
It's not just our young people who yearn for the family they never had. A woman in her late fifties said to me this week, "I want my mum" and it came from such a deep place that she shook while saying the words. She'd never known her mother. A fellow in his forties said, sometimes yelling and sometimes sobbing, "I'd do anything to have either my mum or my dad say, 'well done, I'm proud of you'" A man told me this week that his father preferred to gratify himself in him, a kid and his son, rather than with his wife. This is almost too difficult to write. It's been a week where joy and sadness has been poured out together.
A beautiful man who was volunteering with us yesterday was sharing some of his story. The conversation covered long, merciless abuse as a child with stories of sick anger that was cultivated by a sick father and uncles. To hear this was a violation through my ears. Yet the man is doing well. He is an inspiration to any who have eyes to see and he spends all of his spare time helping us at Wayside. He talked of many sessions with psychiatrists and psychologists and how they all recommend significant medication. I asked him how was it that he is doing so well and making such a good contribution to life. His face beamed and in his heavy accent he said, "No psychologist that I've met seems to know that while my past plays a part in who I am, it is my future that is most formative." I wanted to embrace him and dance around the table where he was working.
So, my Gold Coast friends...when people ask why we do this stuff -I think of these people and wonder how could I not?
One of the kids said casually, "Mum told me that I was the mistake of her life". In a tone that belonged to a discussion of the weather, one after another of these kids echoed, "Yeah, my mum told me that I was the biggest mistake of her life too". One girl said, "My mum would rather take drugs and prostitute herself than be my mother. I was placed in care at 6 years old and I remember it clearly. I was in foster care until I was 11 and then I ran away and ever since I've been looking after myself on the streets."
It's not just our young people who yearn for the family they never had. A woman in her late fifties said to me this week, "I want my mum" and it came from such a deep place that she shook while saying the words. She'd never known her mother. A fellow in his forties said, sometimes yelling and sometimes sobbing, "I'd do anything to have either my mum or my dad say, 'well done, I'm proud of you'" A man told me this week that his father preferred to gratify himself in him, a kid and his son, rather than with his wife. This is almost too difficult to write. It's been a week where joy and sadness has been poured out together.
A beautiful man who was volunteering with us yesterday was sharing some of his story. The conversation covered long, merciless abuse as a child with stories of sick anger that was cultivated by a sick father and uncles. To hear this was a violation through my ears. Yet the man is doing well. He is an inspiration to any who have eyes to see and he spends all of his spare time helping us at Wayside. He talked of many sessions with psychiatrists and psychologists and how they all recommend significant medication. I asked him how was it that he is doing so well and making such a good contribution to life. His face beamed and in his heavy accent he said, "No psychologist that I've met seems to know that while my past plays a part in who I am, it is my future that is most formative." I wanted to embrace him and dance around the table where he was working.
So, my Gold Coast friends...when people ask why we do this stuff -I think of these people and wonder how could I not?
Shares with permission (c) Copyright 2011
What an inspiration this story is to us at
It Takes One: to change the world!
We would like to encourage all our members
to help out in any way they can.
See the website for details
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