Mentoring

In the past months, mentoring has been a distant memory. I don’t remember the last time I wrote about my mentee J. Her family life became quite troubled, and eventually, Mom pulled her from the program. I don’t allow myself to dwell over it much. They have problems that are much different than mine; the choices they make are not always the choices I would make. But in the end, it is out of my control – so I learn to just let it go.

There is good in the whole situation; J was enrolled in the after school program hosted by the same ministry as the mentor program. It was a blessing for they know of her past, listened to my concerns, and she is with a licenced social worker every day for 3 hours after school. That is something I could have never done, and I do believe that this is a better place for her.

We still keep in touch and will continue to get together every once and a while. We are planning a trip to Subway next week. I am sure we will make a trip to the pool in the winter months, get together for a birthday dinner, and still see each other every couple months…just no longer every week on Thursday nights.

So Thursday nights have changed a bit for me. I wanted to give J’s family a few months to make sure that they didn’t change their mind and put her back in the program. I don’t think that is going to happen; but if it did, I would want to still be there for her. So, instead, I have been volunteering at the ministries resale shop in town. I actually like it a lot; you never know what you will uncover in the mounds of donated items. Last week, I opened a rather perfect bag of women’s clothes…I couldn’t believe how generous a donation it was! I really like the other people that work on Thursdays – it is nice to be in a positive working environment for a change.