Adumbration

I can’t help but find

That in this broken time

I am no longer in a bind

Because I’m a mime

But scrambled up in my mind

Are the consequences of mine

When feelings cannot unwind

My thoughts and emotions

Are creating commotion

When the notions aren’t in motion

Therefore I have an aberration

The path that I’ve have walked

Leads not to what I’ve thought

This is why I’m blocked

And in that I fought

This dreaded adumbration I’ve made up.

I no longer live a life of passion

Only steady in the stagnant waters

I await a course for direction

In which there are no barters

Maybe this avulsion is necessary

Because I make decisions of arbitrary.

Maybe I hastened momentarily

Forgetting my responsibility

He needed to wake me up

Stir me from my slumber

Distract me from my cup

Pour me a new fiber

The fibrous masses around my bones

That removes all the stones

In which I am able to realize I’m home

Maybe the broken tissue inside of me

Is my relationship with the father and me

No longer discussing decisions over tea

But silently hating each other, being bitter indeed

Prolly because he’s bothering me

The hope I had of the future is changing

I don’t know what’s to come

I had a dream that was ragging

I thought it was your wisdom

But it could be my path unwinding

You’re much wiser than I

But I feel distant lacking tie

Beneath the skies

You try and whisper but I just want a flashing sign

Impatient frustrated and exhausted

I’m terrified of what the future might hold

Unwilling to hear of the hope you told

No longer to keep my feet in this mold

I cannot hear but wish to know

Where do I go from here?

So now you know the fear

Of which I tow

To you’re feet

Where I lay them at

…

Now what? Where do I go? Please give me peace in the process.

...

 Written by: Christine Hake

Logistical Lingering of Life

There are discontents in my life. Complications I thought I dealt with, that keep reappearing and stabbing me in the sides. I don't know what the next steps are.

People ask me to complete tasks of which I don't know the steps to. When I find time to locate them I don't have time to finish them. Is this what adult life is, finding tasks and not completing them? Is it when we know how to balance life and friends?

I have a confession/concern. What does it mean if I cheated my way through life, back stabbing all that I knew and befriended? Sure I sit, I listen, I understand, but when it comes down to it do I really care or am I apathetic toward those who put their life on the line for me? Which is a very small amount of people. Is it all an act to me, or do i very much desire their friendship?

People say, "What do you have to complain about?, You have a job, you pay your bills..." the list goes on. But what they don't fully understand is what that means. That means I need to keep track of all the bills, food, utilities, rent, animals (if I ever get one), medical nonsense, oh and like 80 other things. Not to mention the job that I do is not an easy one. It is hard and people trigger you every day and bring up things that you've thought you dealt with, but almost lost your cool because the kid touched you in one specific way.  My job is triggering not only for the kids but for the staff. It doesn't pay well, and I am supposed to run a home with that money, it is not easy.

If you want to attempt to buy a home well that's extra time away from doing FUN things, there is only so much time that can be taken as fun time for trying to buy a home. It would be nice though just to settle for something awful and make it grand later. Then that would go is it a bad investment? Did I loose my money? Can I find a roommate? How am I gonna pay my bills? What if I loose my job? What will my family think?

My family is like, it would be good for you to gain the experience, it would be beneficial if you were to fulfill the needs of your bills and such... But I don't pay water sewer garbage, its a collective sum that is separated when you own a home. Then there are taxes and other such ridicule which you get back in your tax return, which is going to be a heinous task.

So sure, yes I make some sorta something, I pay the things I need too, and am struggling with saving funds like all college people go through, but I want to do something fun to celebrate this year of "freedom" but we will see what happens next May 13th... Who knows the world might end in my mind.

The only person who knows the time and place of the world ending is God. I'm gonna be honest, my life is overwhelming though when the feat is completed I am sure that I will be in a more stable place to handle everything.

Normality with Sugar on Top

Every once in a while there are these days, they are the days that every one hates. The days that are dreaded by all. Well, sometimes they are these days and others are more neutral. Then there are those days that every thing is going perfect and four people end up having incidences.

Some times those days are considered the days that are hated by most. See those days are the days when everything was perfect and unfortunately it ends terribly. Well, that was the outlook of this day.

Rarely am I sent to another area of work; I'm normally with the average 6-10 year old kid. What they don't tell us is... "You are going to deal with the kids that are the most traumatized." ... How are they traumatized?... "Its better if you don't know"... excuse me?... "just go figure it out"...

I got to be honest, I do NOT always know what to expect on my every day. How many kids will blow out, etcetera, all I know is that I am here working, understanding that I am here for the protection of others and the support of the staff. I don't have any idea how well I do or why I do some of the things I do. I just do.

I normally am standing there watching the parameters around a room and the other staff and kids to see how everyone is doing. Im like a reader, of personalities, thoughts, fears, annoyance, anxiety, and whatever other emotion that is normally presented in a physical manner. Kids, well they do not always understand their emotions or why they even have them. The other part of my job is helping them perceive the ideas behind the emotion they present.

Today, was a normal day. Nothing out of the ordinary. I just float around to give what assistance staff need at the time of moment and fly back to where I was. I get to meet more people and interact with more youth than I know what to do with. "normally" that would be fine. But today, its like everything was fine in the mornings and boom. The evenings exploded like it was the fourth of July, but on fire.

I am unclear, however, when I am supposed to intervene or what. Though, I can say what exploded in the evening would also be covered in the later night. See, when kids explode normally they tend to wine or complain, and maybe, just maybe, if it got intense enough they would kick and scream on the floor. (The family that I came from would not have tolerated it. How can I?) Simple, their lives were significantly different than that of normality.
"What is normal? What are cows?"-normality restored....
These kids scale walls for fun. They jump on tables, swear at you, and hate you all with in 10 minutes. What I think amazes me most is that these kids are some of the most brilliant incredible kids that you could ever choose to love.

A kid tonight after an ordeal came up to me and started talking to me about their feelings. I'm not going to share everything, but the individual said they didn't believe in me when they were mad. Then, after everything calmed down, we went to the room got ready for bed and I read. Goosebumps. Yes a bed time treat for any kid that age. Afterwards the individual decided to pinky (Like a pinky promise) saying that they believed in me. They also said they didn't want me to leave, and that they would hold my pinky until the person who was to switch me out came.

The dramatic switch in this kid was beautiful. The individual asked me to draw my hand so that they could hold my pinky until I came back to work on wed. So, I tucked the child in bed said good night, and left with them still holding my pinky. Nights like this make me want to go to work.

Becoming an Adult

Most people say that becoming an adult is more than just an age thing and that it has a lot to do with responsibility. Still many are unclear on what it means to be an adult.
Is it going to work every day?
Is it going to school?
Is it when we get married?
Is it how we dress
Is it the bills?
Is it how we present ourselves to others?

Oxfords Definition:
adult |əˈdəlt; ˈadˌəlt|noun- a person who is fully grown or developed : children should be accompanied by an adult. A fully developed animal. Law a person who has reached the age of majority. adjective- (of a person or animal) fully grown or developed : the adult inhabitants ofthe U.S.     emotionally and mentally mature : an effort to be adult and civilized.    So a person who is fully grown would be age 25. This is when brains and eyes have fully developed. Is this what it means to be fully grown? Or is it a combination. A person who has reached adulthood when they are mature physically, mentally, or emotionally. Ok so when I was 15 years old, 10 years ago, people said I was mature for my age. Did that mean that I understood how to appropriately act among others in a way that appeared to be better than others? I was not as mature as I am now, but now it seems that my maturity has turned into an understanding of a lack of fun, but some Adults have fun, others become destroyed by their continuous business and tiredness. MY definition of an adult, is one who can hold their own and understand what their boundaries are in being independent versus in community. I feel like an adult, I did at the beginning of this year and even more so finishing up the school year. In June I will be moving from my home, starting a career, coming home from Costa Rica, and who knows what else. God has blessed me with abundance through out my years at Multnomah and I am happy to announce that I have finished. I am officially done with my Bachelors, though I could have finished better, what matters is I finished, God provided me a job, and a group of friends that I couldn't even ask for. I have been blessed with what I've gotten and given. The next two years I am happy to say that I have become an adult, through perseverance and pursuit of the greatest thing ever, God and Independence within community. I have learned what it is like to be an adult, pay the bills, rent a property,  do well even though I felt like giving up and pursuing greatness when all hope seems lost. 

God, Thank you for allowing me to finish. Thank you for providing for my every need; even though I've been cranky unwilling and a pain in your butt many times. You've helped me to do well in my life. You've given me a reason to live. You've given me my friends, my family and my job. I pray that you continue to pursue me though sometimes I may fail, that you will continue to be my aid in my human existence though my desire is to give up.  Thank you for being there even when I wanted to throw in my towel. I love you. Thank You my friends who have always told me to continue trying in what I do. For telling me to sleep when I needed it, and for always supporting me in my endeavors. You are all awesome and I love you too. Thank you my family for supporting me financially and helping me with school last minute. Hopefully I can repay you some day... 

All of you have influenced who I have become as an adult. Becoming an adult is a never ending process in which the adventures will still be taking place and the tidal waves will still come in. 

Graduation

Graduation... An overwhelming thought for most, now consumes my thoughts and concerns. I know that I will be protected and provided for. Is life sometimes stressful, well of course. If we think about it with out stress we can never really know peace. In the peace that I understand there is an abundance of hope for whatever lies before me.

What lies beyond graduation? I have no idea. There is so much going on between now and when I am finished I am so excited for. Is it work? DUH, if it wasn't I would not grow from it. That is why I am so excited for what lies before. I have no idea, it is excitement that I can say I am looking forward to. 

About three years ago I wanted to know everything about my future, who I was going to marry, what I was going to do after I finish my education, and who I was going to be afterwards. But you know I'm OK with not knowing. I've realized that this year God has provided for me in ways I could not even imagine and I am content with accepting the fact that I am just going to be surprised about things and I'm stoked. 

I just had an interview Monday for a position that I would love to do. The second interview took place on Friday. I know if I don't get it, there will be something greater out there for me to do. How do I continue on throughout my life? Excitement, in whatever may befall, and that is so exciting for me, that I cannot even imagine what might God has in store for me. I'm excited....

Please let me get the job, I want to love these kids. 

<3 C.

Tidal Waves

There are points in our lives when we do not know where we will go or how we will get there. When we are swept away by a wave or two in our lives, it is important that we find things that are enjoyable about the ride.  We might not have control over every aspect of the journey and sometimes we might feel like we are drowning. The goal then is to find something stronger that can be used to keep us afloat. Not everything is easy, nor should it be, but what is important is the journey to our destination.

Journeys are the most important part for building experience, which happens to be the most necessary thing for finding a job, living life and raising kids... someday. The more I personally find out about my life's experiences the more I understand what I am supposed to do in my life.

As I approach graduation, though stressful, I am learning that these experiences through the educational system encourages my process of recovery through the difficult swings of life, or the "tidal waves". I am still unclear what parts I need to focus on so I can actually ride the waves and not just attempt to stay afloat. What I know and understand about who I am, is that I need to apply the things I've learned in my life to the future events and trust solely on God as the foundations for my new beginnings. Change is always difficult, but when we can embrace the difficulties and hope for the best, that is when we can experience the most growth occurs, in who we are and who we will become.

I am not an expert on life or how to live it. I am simply a human being with challenges and difficulties, that lives life in a way that hopefully will be noted by others. I feel that sometimes I do things that are in revenge of what people say against me, but the action appears as taking initiative.

I am learning that through the difficulties I can be an individual of advocacy for others, who feel like they cannot speak up and are trapped in the daily routine of life. But in boundaries I understand the need for compassion and strictness, however unclear on how to balance them. These I am sure will become clearer as time continues and I mature in understanding and faith.

I sometimes fail in the area of faith, but am willing to undergo a routine change so that I can become more flourished in that. I wish sometimes it would be easier, but it isn't. We have to fight in life, fight the waters that attempt to drown us and enjoy the moments of peace that balance out the rest of our lives.

Change equals difficulties, difficulties equal experience, experience equals useful skills that help us through the roughest waters in our lives and many times they feel like tidal waves.

<3 Christine