REGARDLESS

Woke up this a.m. a little saddened by the world...the lack of loyalty, commitment and kindness in many I see around me. Quietly just feeling generally disappointed.

Stumbled down the stairs, poured that very important cup of strong coffee and checked my email.

Who would ever think email could be grace!?

Finding a sweet, loving note from Patrick....Grace.

Then, I opened an email from one of my CASA friends. When I first took this position, I was not welcome. Many of the folks in the community loved the old director so much they were pretty tough on me. I decided it wasn't about me. REGARDLESS, I decided I would work hard to serve the children and take "myself" out of the mix.

Cut and pasted below is a letter I will frame. We don't work for the thanks, but sometimes when we get appreciation, it can seem like grace.

January 10, 2009

Dear Robin,
Thank you for choosing to work with CASA and for staying with us in the 15th Judicial Circuit! With all your skills and your resume I am sure you have had many other opportunities that are much more lucrative and much less rigorous. I am so glad you haven’t “left us!”
Your legal expertise bolsters my confidence about everything we do with the children in foster care but especially what we do in the actual courtroom. The judge and Children’s Division are really listening to us and our reports and are valuing our recommendations. You make it easy to seek your advice and always give us the option to accept or reject it. You trust us to do what we have been trained to do without letting us “sink” or make fools of ourselves at court. You help us by going over our reports, constantly having us focus on the strengths of the family and seeking the best interest of the children. You remind us that we are the eyes and ears of the judge and that every child deserves a safe, stable and permanent home as soon as possible. You help us by asking questions and letting us see for ourselves how we can improve. You express appreciation freely and help us improve by being specific with your praise.
Your people skills and especially your work with Children’s Division are making a huge difference with what we are able to accomplish and a big difference in our comfort level working with the individual case workers. Your work with us “volunteers” must be pretty challenging at times! You are kind and accepting of all of us where ever we are in our lives and acknowledge our difficulties without being overly emotional. You show compassion and make all of us feel valued, needed, and useful. And you try to guide us and help us refocus when that is needed. You celebrate with us when we have adoptions or improved homes and you mourn with us when we have tragedies.
And, in addition to all of the above, you make yourself work hard on the part you like the least…fundraising! Thank you for all of your hard work on the grants, and fund raisers such as the pie auction. I know you “reinvest” a lot of the money you earn as Executive Director right back into CASA. I know this is a very important part of making us effective….without money we can’t do much!
So, thanks for all you do (enumerated above!)
Your CASA volunteer,
Katie