"Let Your Life Speak" part 3

             This is the third in the series—“Let Your Life Speak.” It always inspires me to read the reflections and stories of our interns. I am reminded of the hard work, the collegiality, the friendships, the side-splitting laughter resulting from stories at camp, and the bonds of love that form over the summer. This reflection is from Elizabeth Brown. Elizabeth interned in 2010 and as the Lead Intern in 2011. She also organized our afternoon enrichment for the Peace Education week. These activities were fun and effective; so effective that one of the principals called me at home to share a story about change in behavior in one of our kids. This is the story titled “Planting Seeds in Fertile Ground” in the 2010 blog posts.

I have truly been enriched by working with Elizabeth. And, there is no question that the lives of many children have been touched by her. I think you will see what I mean when you read her reflection.

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As I sit here listening to a travel CD made for me by a friend for my long travel home, I came across a song called “This is Love” by The Script. After I had time to sit down and stop what I was doing because the song fondly reminded me of Good Neighbors, I quickly remembered that I had failed to reflect on my experiences and time spent with the Good Neighbor’s program. And now, finally, I have found a spare moment to write down my thoughts. 

The first line in the song is “It’s in the eyes of the children, as they leave for the very first time” and the song continues to repeat, “this is why we do it, this is worth the pain, this is where the heart lies, this is love, love is this”. I thought this just about summed up the entire Good Neighbor’s experience. It made me think of the requirements for an intern to become part of the Good Neighbor’s family. I thought if someone really wants to be a part of the program, they must be willing to endure the “pain” and hard work that comes with the ups and downs of Good Neighbors. They have to be really passionate about helping others and dedicating their time to enrich the lives of each other as well as the children and families the program serves. And they must understand that the whole underlying message of Good Neighbors is love. Showing compassion to the community and to the children says that someone loves and cares about them enough to invest great amounts of time, money and energy into the improvement of their education, health and spirit. 

            People involved with GN, regardless of their role in the program, understand why we put in so much effort and work into sustaining this program. I use the word “we” loosely because the number of people who get the recognition for “running the program” is just the tip of the iceberg. There is a huge foundation of community members that is supporting the program, and it is because of the steadfast support and encouragement that the program thrives. 

            Of course even with all the support of the loving community members, there would be no program without Russell Baskett; a friendly Quaker who has a kind spirit, a loving and accepting heart and the patience of a saint. Even though he has these honorable characteristics, Russ can also be the stubborn and steadfast leader that is needed for a program like Good Neighbors to function as well as it has over the past few years. He has been a hero and an inspiration to many and impacted countless lives. But he is humble to the point where he tries to give credit to others for the hard work he has personally put into this program. Russell has been a great advocate, friend and mentor to all the children Good Neighbors has served. He has also done the same mentoring, befriending and advocating for the interns who have worked with him over the years. (Russ- you better not delete this part before you share it with others!)    

            For the last two summers I have been privileged enough to serve as an intern and as the lead intern in2011 for the Good Neighbor’s program.  Working with such a fantastic program with wonderful leadership has been a blessing in itself by teaching me valuable life lessons. Working with my fellow interns has also been quite an enjoyable experience. Over the last few years I have made friendships that are lasting. You learn a whole lot about yourself when living, working and playing with five to seven other people 24/7. But, it also creates a bond between the interns that is indescribable—at times we want to wring each other’s necks, but we still love each other and learn to get along. 

            Then, there are the kids. Oh, the Good Neighbors rascals. They are the true spirit of good neighbors and are the reason the interns get up at the crack of dawn each day, all summer. The kids can drive you crazy, make you laugh, do things that surprise and scare you, all at the same time. But, at the end of the day it’s the love and compassion we show them that counts. Seeing the kids succeed, learn new things, and have a good time makes all the hard, preparation work worthwhile. In my experience it has been the funny stories and experiences with the children that have been the stories told months and even years after. This is not to say that all of the children make lasting positive impressions. In fact I think that most interns would agree with me that most of the children have their positive and negative attributes, and it is usually the negative attributes that cause us stress at the time that make for the best stories. But whether a child was caring, calm, disruptive, kind, angry or off-the-walls, we appreciate every one of them and the kids give the interns an experience that is just as, if not more, valuable to their lives. 

             I have enjoyed every second of my work with SML Good Neighbors and am a true believer in what this program can do for the children in the Bedford and Franklin counties and beyond. There are many people who make this camp program possible and I want to thank them from the bottom of my heart for offering me this opportunity that has been a life changing experience. Good Neighbors will always have a special place in my heart, and I will forever be an advocate for the children the program serves and works with.

            The song by The Script reads, “This is where the heart lies, this is from above, love is this, this is love.”  And SML Good Neighbors will be where the heart lies for many, and will always be a place where love is abundant.