N-O Spells NO!

The house feels very empty right now as we all settle down from an exhausting group. By the time we were done with our goodbyes and the meeting afterwards, it was already half six! Sharon, the breakhouse manager, was up from Cork to lead the group. She is usually doing work behind the scenes, but she was covering for Khadija, our usual supervisor, because she is on holiday at EuroDisney in Paris! (I am too jealous to explain.) I was a little nervous for Sharon to be here because the last time she was here I didn't get a proper meeting with her and I wanted to make sure that I did a good job.



Patricia arrived at exactly 4pm on Friday. She was the first to arrive and she loved being the center of attention! It made it difficult for me to bond with her because she talked to the people she knew. But as the other members arrived she started to respond to my attention. She is a very loud and outgoing woman. She especially loves boys, and fought for the attention of Gabriele and Jose (the two guy volunteers). She was satisfied often by them fighting over dances with her and as many pictures as she would let them take. As for me, she enjoyed a love/hate relationship full of the phrase "N-O spells no!!!" Every once in a while she'd give me a smile that I understood completely. She liked to mess with me and pretend that she didn't like me, but I know that she really had fun being my partner. We made breakfast for everyone on Saturday morning and she boasted about making amazing omelettes. She had previously told me that at her home she gets breakfast in bed and watches TV all day. So I told her that I was going to come to her house next Friday for an omelette in bed, and I asked her to get some of my favorite movies ready. That really worked her up! "Ohhhhh, no! No way! N-O spells no!" It was a really weird and fun game that proceeded for the rest of the weekend. Those were her staple phrases that we all enjoyed shouting out with her.

When we went to the Pavillions for shopping, she went straight for Penny's. She works there three days a week in the lingerie department, which gives us endless teasing material. Patricia really loves to buy people presents, and Jose had teased her earlier telling her that he loves ties. The minute we entered the store she darted off in the direction of the men's department. Three minutes later she had two ties in her hand and she was ready to check out. Later, she gave me a big hug and bought me some fudge. It was really sweet! When it was time, we all met up for a film. Ice Age 3 was this week's choice and everyone seemed eager to see it. To be honest, I was just happy for a mental break! But the movie was fun to see. When we made it back home, everyone went to their rooms to get dressed for dinner. Patricia impatiently waited for the boys to come out so that she could give them their ties. It added a fun element to the night, and it meant so much to her! We went to a restaurant called Oscar Taylor's right here in Malahide. After dinner, we went downstairs to the pub and everyone got a drink. Patricia was sure she was a little drunk after her non-alcoholic beer. :) At home, we all settled down in the living room for songs and dancing.

Sunday morning was a blur of showers, dressing, breakfast, and loading up the bus. We went to the church here in Malahide for Mass, which was a nice change of pace from our normal small Mass at the house. Afterwards, we had a simple lunch and spent some time in the sitting room before the members were picked up. Patricia's taxi was right on time, and she was thrilled! She literally ran upstairs to get her back and suffered through the quickest goodbye's she could possibly manage before rushing to the car. I could tell that she was ready to go home that morning, so waiting until four in the afternoon was a lot for her. She is used to routine and she likes all of her room mates, which is a really good thing. After she was gone I was able to spend time with some of the other members in the house. I really bonded with Gabriele's member Shane. He is about my age and he is deaf. Before the group started, Erin gave us all the Irish sign language alphabet. It was fun to use it with Shane and to be able to communicate in that way. He is able to read and write, which was also helpful when there was more to say than a few words. We were told that the last time he came in the house, he sat in the corner with his volunteer and didn't really join in on the group. But Gabriele did a great job of keeping him included, and us volunteers also did well with bringing him into the conversations. Someone said that they still don't feel like they know Shane well, but I honestly think it depends on the effort you put into it. It was really easy for me to connect with him because his personality really shines through.

I don't think I'll ever forget the important things I've learned while being here. I have only been here two months and I feel like I'm in a completely different place emotionally and spiritually from where I was in May. I hope all of these lessons really sink in with me. It's amazing how much we take for granted in our lives. I know it's one of those things that people say all the time, but being here and witnessing the obstacles that these members face...it's really amazing. Most of them have such a positive attitude about life and it is truly inspiring. It is hard to really appreciate things like walking, talking, listening, seeing, etc. when it is just a small part of our daily lives. But to someone who can't walk or talk, it is extremely significant. I just hope that this year gives me a better understanding of the gifts that I've been given.

Anyways, there is a little window into my thoughts...scary huh? That's about all I have for now. As always, I hope that everything is well with you, wherever you are. I love you guys! Write me!