This week was crazy! I mean the good kind of crazy though. It was crazy because all 23 scholars were in the same place at once. If there was one thing I could be thankful for it was definitely being reunited with my second family on a holiday that was meant to be surrounded with your loved ones. This was my third Thanksgiving that I was missing. I didn’t know how to feel about it. I wasn’t only a couple of states away but I was in a whole different country. The joy and happiness that I felt though when I got to spend it with my other scholars, that was a blessing in itself.
The next best part of the week was definitely Thanksgiving day. No, not just because of the food this time but the opportunity we had to volunteer at a homeless shelter in Belfast. It felt good to give back. That day we spent the majority of the time working in the clothes storage room sorting out the good clothes from the bad. That was a day to remember. All of us in there helping each other out, laughing, making jokes, being silly, that was so great because for a moment we forgot where we were, stopped worrying about other little problems in our life, and just were in the moment. Those are the best kind of moments. Also, while I was there I had the time to reflect on my time at the shelter and compare it to the one that I volunteered at school. The differences were there but the similarities were the same. The two biggest things that I can point out quickly were the food differences, as well as the amount of people that were in the facility. Not only were the portion sizes of the food extremely larger than the ones served in Spokane but the amount of people at the shelter were way smaller. It was interesting to see the differences.
Next, the feast. The night of Thanksgiving was full of emotions. Yes, I do cry a lot but only for mostly good reasons. When they showed their surprise video that they made of all the families there was no way I was going to stop the water works. As I was watching the video I expected not to see anyone of my family because they usually don’t do those things but when I saw my dad and my cat on the screen I couldn’t help but be in awe. That was probably the cutest thing my dad ever did for me. Couldn’t have been a more thankful moment. I am so glad that I got to spend another Thanksgiving with people that are genuine and so full of love. Thanks Sport Changes life and the Rory Foundation for this unforgettable experience.
