They say everyone who comes into your life has one of three purposes: a reason, a season or a lifetime. I have been blessed with all the above and I hope to continue that experience. I have been a resident of the CA Adult Programs for several years. In my time there, I have met people who have been lifelong friends and people who I don’t see any longer. Staff as well as residents have come and gone like the revolving door of life. That doesn’t change how I feel about them, nor will it change what has happened. There are so many stories I would love to share.
I think the one I will share is how I met my first Richmond friend. So, when I ended up coming to the CA House for a visit, I met with a guy who is a bit older than me. We hit it off so well that I was surprised at how in sync we actually were. My dad and I ended up going to visit it together. It was a wonderful visit and while I was touring around the house, I ended up connecting with one of the people there. He and I talked about everything under the sun, and we still have loads of inside jokes that would make no sense unless someone else was there. We have an amazing time together and I’m happy to call him my friend. He has been someone I have aspired to be like in my life as he is calm and very understanding and while we may not always see eye to eye on everything, we do end up circling back around to talk about the issue later. If it isn’t important, we move on like nothing happened and it is fun. I have had a lot of laughs with him and hope to continue our friendship for many more years to come.
Here’s another headline for you.
From the first time I stepped through the doors, to the time I discovered I was staying at the CA Adult Program, it has been a wonderful and slightly challenging experience. The number of people that I have met and interacted with over my time there has been a blessing in a sense that no one could take away from me. Truthfully, moving into a house with seven other people was a bit daunting for someone new to the area. I had moved from Northern Virginia as I had mentioned in one of my earlier blogs. Not having many of the people in my support system forced me to seek aid internally. Sure, I called my mom on the phone constantly for reassurances that I was doing what I could with what little information I had. Sometimes I called my brother if I was in trouble and explain the situation to him as he has been the calmest when everyone else was ready to go off on me.
While there, I have met people who have pulled me down and pushed me to move forward. They all had various lessons to teach me and have helped me to prosper as an adult while still thriving in my present. Living in the CA House has been a lesson and a blessing to me as well as those who have been in there. The shared experiences make it enjoyable and while it is hard to say goodbye in a few months, that house will forever have cherished memories there in every corner of its walls. I hope that it continues being a stepping stone for all who enter and teaches them things that they wouldn’t have learned otherwise.
