"I remember that day. It was great to see!"

Sometimes, things don’t happen as we wish.  (Sound familiar, lately? ;-) ) We were hoping to share the first-person account of an inspiring story from Donovan.  We’re still waiting for approval so, for now, an abbreviated second-person account will have to do.  Because let’s face it.  We’re not going to let a “not yet” rain on any parade of celebration and honoring of the light that shines brightly in darkness.  Here it is…

One of our team members, who observed the depression and challenged mindset of many residents around him and within himself, decided to bring light into their now-even-more-confined environment.  At first, he struggled rallying implementation partners.  But the few who were in created the needed signs: “You are loved!”, “You are worthy!”, “Thank you for not forgetting us” to name a few.

On the selected day, at shift change – which maximized the number of correctional and medical staff coming and going on the yard – this small group of prison residents stood their designated distance away, held their signs up high and started shouting gratitude to all staff that walked out of or onto the yard.  At first, people didn’t know what to think.  They soon realized the prison residents were recognizing their – the staff’s – hard work to manage the delicate balance of the changing tides of Covid.

The raucous attracted more prison residents and the small group of gratitude givers grew to 40 residents!  (Knowing that social distancing limits the residents on the yard to only a small fraction of yard residents.)  The authors describing the event spoke of how touched the staff seemed to be.  The yard leadership came out to take photos.  The residents also noticed other Custody and staff walking beyond their yard gate to whom they shouted their gratitude.

One of those staff walking beyond the yard gate was the person to whom I sent this story for approval.  This person replied with, paraphrasing, “I remember that day!  It was great to see.”

We hope this second-hand account inspires almost as much as the first-hand ones.  The prison residents are regular examples of how they turn dark, even violent, situations into times of spreading more light, more dignity, more respect, more love.

May this inspiration move you into exploring what small or big way you can bring joy, gratitude or peace into a situation.