Live your suffering or see it from a different perspective

Volunteering at the Truro Homeless Action Group Breakfast Club today was very different from yesterday. Yesterday, only four clients came in, making it a quiet morning, but there was a sense of contentment and gratitude in the air. Today was a different story—there were 11 clients in total, all arriving early, and the mood was quite somber.

I think the harsh reality of the changing seasons, with days getting darker and nights colder, really hit home. I got the sense that it had been a tough night for many. I can’t imagine having to carry your life around with you every day, constantly wondering where you’ll find shelter for the night, hoping it will be dry and warm. The reality is almost impossible to grasp.

One client had on a thick coat that was completely soaked. Another said he hadn’t really slept for four weeks; he looked like he was at the end of his tether. It’s hard to find the right words to keep someone going for another night when they’re at that level of exhaustion and despair. You try to be positive, to help them see the good side of things, and to show gratitude.

The breakfast club provided by volunteers every day provides some solace—a warm place to come every morning—but it isn’t a solution. It doesn’t answer the deeper needs these people have. They know they shouldn’t drink in the church hall, but I saw cups of spirits being passed around surreptitiously. I guess it’s just a way to cope with the emotions and feelings they’re going through.

The message I want to share is that no matter how hard life seems for us—those of us who aren’t homeless—it’s important to think about those less fortunate and find positivity each day. We should feel grateful to be alive, to appreciate the sun shining down on us, giving us energy, and helping the plants grow to feed us. This beauty around us is something people dream of—waking up in a beautiful place like Cornwall. And even when it rains, we need the rain to sustain that beauty.

Smile, feel love in your heart, and do something amazing today to lift the spirits of someone less fortunate than you.

Sending love,
Therese