The Julian Center

Yesterday I had the opportunity to drive downtown to the Julian Center, a local shelter for women and children who have suffered domestic violence. Along with a few other members of the AFC, I got to spend the afternoon with some of the kids at the center.

As soon as we arrived we were directed into the multi-purpose room of the center. We hid colorful Easter eggs full of jelly beans all over the room, and laid out giant Toy Story 3 coloring pages and markers. The front desk made the announcement that kids at North Central were at the center, and to come to the multi-purpose room with your kids for some games and activities. Slowly the kids and their moms trickled in. A little shy at first, but eager to start coloring. When we had gotten all the kids we thought we would we filled them in on the Easter egg hunt, and sent them off to see who could find the most eggs. Before the hunt had even started Marie had spotted one of the eggs. While the official hunt was going on, I stayed behind with Marie, probably too young to really understand the concept of the Easter egg hunt, and clapped and laughed with her as she ate each jelly bean inside her yellow egg. Marie and I instantly bonded, and once she asked me to hold her it took me a while to convince her that putting her down would not be a reason to cry. So as I held Marie, we walked around and looked at everyone coloring and decorating stickers and eating all the jelly beans they found.

One of my favorite moments of the day was when I met Kiri. She had so much energy and loved to share her jelly beans and chocolate and color stickers to put all over her outfit. As I lifted her up, Kiri looked at me and then my hair. She stroked it really softly and said, "I looove your hair". After telling her that I loved hers too, I asked if she would possibly have time to do my hair, and make it really pretty. She agreed and got busy giving me a stylish do.

Throughout the day, I couldn't help but feel really overcome with emotion. Here are these kids, after having been dealt a pretty unfair hand in life, smiling and laughing and playing just as much as kids who have everything and more. Kids who's faces lit up when one of us picked them up, or colored with them. Kids who were so appreciative of everything, and eager to be our friends. Its kids like these who give me hope. Hope that everything will be okay, and hope that even when life's not fair and things haven't gone your way, there is still so much to smile about.

(All names were changed in this post for the protection/ privacy of the kids at the center)