Time to Breathe

“Never be so busy as to not think of others.” - Mother Theresa

Ellen doing outreach for her service site, SafeNet

This morning as I am working at the reception desk of SafeNet’s office building, a place that is always hectic with calls, messages from staff, clients walking in for appointments, and donations,  I  am reminded that it is important to take time to breathe. Sometimes days like today can be overwhelming, so it is important for me to remember the quote from Mother Theresa that I carry with me, “Never be so busy as to not think of others.” Despite the fact that I may feel overwhelmed and that I’m bouncing from one thing to another, I work to remember  the importance of showing mercy in my every interaction with others.

 

To me, showing mercy means showing compassion to everyone I encounter. It doesn’t matter if I’m having a bad day. I need to remember that I can be a source of hope or a smile to someone who may be struggling. This is especially important to remember in my interactions with SafeNet clients. I never know if I will have ten minutes or ten months to build a relationship with someone. During the first moments when I meet someone new, I do my best to learn their name and to listen to them. Listening is a way I can show clients that they are important and that I care about them. Most of the time, the women I meet don’t know what it means to be important or to be truly cared for. They have been mistreated and abused by someone who they thought loved them. My interaction with them may be one that helps them realize that they really are worth something and that there is nothing wrong with them for what happened to them.

Back to taking time to breathe...it is important to remember to leave time in my day for breathing because I can become so wrapped up in my work that I become consumed by it. That’s what happens when you are truly passionate about what you do. The thing that can be difficult about this is that the stories the clients tell are heartbreaking and usually shocking. No matter how many times I hear a woman tell her story I can’t help but pour my heart out to her and her children. Even though 1 in 4 women will experience an abusive relationship in her life, each story is devastating. If I don’t remember to breathe and do something to take care of myself, I could become angry or frustrated with today’s world. Luckily I love to make music and art, and I love to write. These are great ways for me to breathe and to remember that things aren’t always as bad as they seem, and that there is always hope...even in the darkest of days!

Ellen Davis - SafeNet - Erie, PA

Ellen took a picture with Dora for the children she works with