A Good News Story

Originally published in Issue 2 (Vol. 3) - Winter 2007 of Families for Change, the quarterly journal of Family Advocacy in NSW

http://www.family-advocacy.com/newsletter.php

 

Wendy Davies is a parent who lives in Queensland. Wendy attended a conference in February this year, run by the Community Resource Unit (CRU) in Brisbane. The article below was written shortly after the conference, as Wendy reflected on some of the key learnings that had taken place for her while there and what she has been able to achieve because of them.  

I thought you might like to hear about my daughter, Emma and her good news which only happened this past month… 

After going to the CRU Conference and hearing all the positive and inspiring things people were doing, I decided that my mouth (that used to get me into so much trouble at school, because it was always open) was now my biggest obstacle as I felt safer keeping it shut!  So when a mother at swimming training asked me how my daughter was going, I told her that Emma was doing volunteer work 1 – 1/2 hours away by public transport, and that she needed to get some work in her local community, which was what I was focusing on now. 

Within a week, this mother told me, almost apologetically, that she had approached her daughter’s school library which was always calling for parent volunteers, and asked them if they would give Emma a trial to see if she could help out.  She hoped I didn’t mind, and if not, the Librarian was happy to talk to us and arrange a time for Emma to come along and meet them. 

So I took Emma along and she has now completed three hours work at the Library, learning to put away books, and she is going back on a regular basis every fortnight. The other bonus was that this wonderful Mum suggested that if we arranged for Emma to finish work at 3pm, then she would pick Emma up and take her to swimming training with her daughter. 

After the first day at the library, and after swimming training, we took Emma out for dinner to celebrate her new job.  She was as proud as punch, and wanted to ring her brother and sister about her newest achievement.  The lesson that we don’t have to do it all ourselves has been brought home powerfully to me, and I know that I need to continue opening my mouth about Emma’s dreams. 

Another person who is as proud as punch is the Mum who got her the job, and she is now talking about Emma getting a paid job with the experience she gains at the library.  So now there is another person involved in Emma’s life, daring to dream of a good life for our daughter. 

'Sometimes when I consider what tremendous consequence come from little things… I am tempted to think…there are no little things.’                   (Bruce Barton)