Saturday, August 8, 2009

Pearls of wisdom for Lee-Laii

One of the young people who I work with has been like a ray of warm sunshine across my path through the dark world of working with kids under a Child Protection Order.
Whenever we're together she has me in fits of laughter to the point where I'm gasping for breath and wiping tears from my eyes. True to her Islander roots, she has even bestowed upon me a new nickname: "Lee-Laii".
One of the many things that impresses me about her is that she is always coming out with clever little sayings and quotes that she has memorized. During my Saturday shift I told her this and asked her if she would be able to write them all down for me?
She was very happy to do so, and busily set about this task as I was making her a toasted sandwich for lunch.
A short time later I was handed a piece of paper torn from her exercise book...

"For you Lee-Laii!" It was headed. And then followed all the little pearls of wisdom she had collected and treasured over the years...

  • "Wanted by many. Taken by none. Looking at some. Waiting for ONE."
  • "Every sixty seconds you spend upset is a minute of happiness you'll never get back. Life is short. Break the rules. Forgive quickly. Kiss slowly. Love truly. Laugh uncontrollably. And never regret anything that's made you SMILE. Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we're here make it one hell of a dance!"
  • "Whenever you feel like giving up, just remember why you held on for so long to begin..."
  • "Don't tell me the sky's the limit, when there's footprints on the MOON!"
  • "WORK like you don't need the money, LOVE like you've never been hurt, and DANCE like no one's watching!"
  • "What happens when the one person who could stop you from crying, was the one who made you cry...?"

And then to my amazement the last entry was a verse of Scripture, and she even quoted where it was from:

  • "But those who HOPE in the Lord will soar on wings like eagles." Isaiah 40:31

Sometimes the source of much-needed, long-forgotten hope and encouragement is found in the most unlikely of places.

This girl has completely graced my existence not only as a Youth Worker, but also as a living soul.

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