Chapter Two: No, It’s Not Sad!
Forever Family Newsletter No 11
I get asked a lot, as a social worker, if I feel sad doing the work I do. It’s an interesting question, because on the surface I can understand why someone might ask that. Certainly, the contexts through which I meet clients can be complicated, and trauma is almost always involved in one way or another, but my personal experience is quite the opposite of sad. While circumstances may be heartbreaking, having the opportunity to join alongside someone in crisis and walk through it together is a humbling privilege and one that most often brings me hope rather than despair. I think often when people think about foster care they view it in a similar two-dimensional kind of way. “Oh what a sad situation” “I can’t imagine” “How awful” or similar phrases that can somewhat diminish the nuance of each very-human experience behind the label of foster care. It’s been 13 years since Heather and I started Junket, which feels crazy to say. One of our primary goals since the beginning has been to combat those stigmas and that limited thinking and reshape the narrative.
We’ve had so many different stages of this experience, that initial phase of just getting buy-in and building trust from those kiddos who were gracious enough to hang out with us, then transitioning into building up business skills and confidence, honing in on specific gifts and passions, all the while creating a space where they felt their voices were heard and valued. Each stage has had its own role in growing Junket into what it has become today. So here we are now, at this really exciting transition that the Sara of 2011 never could have dreamed of happening. I’ve never been great at seeing the big picture (that’s Heather’s forte!) but what an incredible gift to look back and see how intricately all these different phases and projects and transitions have been woven together to get us to this exact point.
I believe with all my heart that Junket is something special. Sure, I’ve got a little bias- but I also have years in the social work field where I’ve seen first-hand the impact of not having a solid support system and safety net in place. Particularly for those involved in the foster care system. Junket isn’t just a program- it’s a home. It’s a family. You never age out, if (when!) there are conflicts, we work through them. When there’s a problem, we figure it out. We’ve been a part of first apartments, first jobs, babies being born, cross-country moves, family challenges, job promotions, graduations, travel plans, relationship breaks, and every other aspect of what it is to go through early adulthood. I can’t imagine walking through my 20s and 30s (or any decade to come!) without my own support network, the family and friends I can call for the big things and the tiny things that feel big. No one should have to feel they have to go it alone. Junket provides a soft place to land and a safe place to just be.
So no, this work isn’t sad. It’s filled with hope. It’s exciting and tiring and joyful and complicated and beautiful, which is exactly what life is supposed to be. In this next stage of Junket, as Heather has started as full-time staff and we look toward the future it’s overwhelming (I told you, I’m not great with big picture!) but I have an unwavering confidence that the best is yet to come. I’m so humbled to be a part of it and so thankful for Junket’s network of support that has made each step of this possible.
Fondly,
Sara
“There is no prerequisite to worthiness, you are born worthy”