Happy Wednesday from the Windy City! Today we had another long day of service, as usual, but we have had some incredible experiences, both challenges and successes. During our group reflection tonight, many of our members shared their personal emotions about the day and opened up to reflect on the work they've doe so far. One participant, Brittany Powell, wrote about her Wednesday experience for tonight's blog:
"Today was a roller coaster of emotions. This morning we worked with the kids at Western DuPage. There were ups and downs like you wouldn't believe. I have been struggling with some negative emotions lately, so when I had a breakthrough with one of the boys from camp, I could not have been happier. It was great to see a smile on his face when we played basketball. I'll be honest, I can't shoot a basketball to save my life, but we made the best of it. After gym time, we went to Connie's Pizza place in Naperville. The kids got to tour the kitchen and make their own homemade pizzas. It was definitely eventful and I was pleasantly surprised at how kind the staff was.
Another one of our participants, Jory Mick, also shared some of her experiences from Wednesday:
At Western DuPage, we met 6 new participants. To start out, we played games and basketball with them. I hadn't played basketball in probably a decade and the participants were definitely better then me.
After the games, we left for an arboretum. More people joined us and a bunch remembered us from Monday. Seeing people recognize us was amazing. They were so excited to see us and talk with us. It was so cool.
Today, I spoke with Ken and Dawn a lot. Ken is the happiest person I have ever met and he never stops laughing or smiling. He is so fun to talk with and will always tease me back. Dawn told me a lot about her family and was so easy to talk with. We took the participants on a walk around the pond and just got to enjoy their company. One of my favorite moments of the day, every participant walks at a different pace so we would have to take breaks and wait for others to catch up. At one point, I looked black and saw Bryndon, who is very tall, walking very slowly with two ladies who were very short and could not move very fast. To witness the love and patience Bryndon had with the participants was amazing.
At our Aspire home, I made a goal to connect with one of the participants. Tonight, I was lucky enough to be able to talk with Caroline. Caroline is so smart and such a sweet lady. She just recently retired and had some amazing stories to share. She also loves to play card games, which is right up my alley. I had such a great night playing cards with her and just talking about life. Her favorite movie is Shirley Temple and she still watches it on VHS. Tonight, we talked about how movies are no longer made that way and instead come on a disk. Hopefully, I can find a DVD version for her to enjoy before we head back to Columbia.
So far, this trip has opened my eyes to how easy it is to communicate love to others. Being polite and treating everyone equally is such a small step to make others feel loved. This trip has also taught me a ton in having patience with others. The participants are so intelligent and it blows my mind how much they know each day. They just need a few more seconds to process the information or directions, which has taught me to take time to slow down and be patient. I am very thankful for this week and the fact that everyone on the trip had the opportunity to try Portillo's today."
Though it's late already and we wake up each day at 6:30 a.m., we're already excited for Thursday's service! It will be our last day at our Aspire homes, so we are really curious to see how it will go. We'll write again tomorrow evening!
Natalie Rooney
Co-Chair - Tour Team - Office of Visitor Relations
Alumni Association Student Board
University of Missouri
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