The week started off with an intense day at Casa Alitas. Some days as the COVID point person I do a poor job at asking for help. There is a point at which I have too many things to do, people to communicate with, and questions being asked of me that it doesn’t feel like I can even take the 5 minutes to call in a few coworkers and explain what I need help with. This happened on Monday after I had over five families waiting for me to explain what was happening and zero taxis to help me transport. At the end of the day everyone got where they needed to go, but I did not feel like I had succeeded.
Relationships are important to me and in everything I do I strive to be forming and strengthening relationships with those around me. Feeling like I failed was partially in my head, but based on this greater goal. I had failed to take the time to sit down with each family explain the circumstances and listen to each person's story. My communication with my coworkers at the isolation hotel was so lacking that they were starting to get frustrated. So yes everyone got where they needed to go, but I failed in caring for and supporting the people around me.
I was determined not to let this happen again. Because of a combination of factors, I had half of the staff helping me with COVID needs and transport on Thursday and all went smoothly. It takes a community.
Outside of work:
This Sunday we celebrated Shalom’s 45th birthday with a commemorative video of Shalom’s history and a potluck! Watch the video here:
Saturday marked our official halfway point of our time with MVS. As much as I have begun to look ahead and think about next steps for me, it saddens me deeply to think about leaving Tucson. The relationships I have developed here are invaluable, a community that will be impossible to recreate anywhere else. I try not to think about the end too much because of this anticipation of loss. I am living in the present and the beyond but not in the leaving. There is still so much to do here.
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