During my run, I noticed a woman that was swaying and lurching to and fro on the corner of Ogden and Albany - I went over to her to see if she was okay and realized pretty quickly that she was not okay. She had no control over her movements, was unable to respond to my questions, and was in a state of altered consciousness. Indeed, she kept falling down headfirst and at first, I thought she was having a seizure. I ran over to a car that was stopped at a red light and urgently motioned for the man behind the wheel to roll down the window. I shouted at him and told him to call 911 - he quickly handed me his phone and I dialed 911 and requested an ambulance. Thankfully, the man turned off his car and came outside to help me steady the woman (at this point, she kept falling down and I was seriously concerned that she was going to have a head injury). Can I just say, trying to steady a 7 foot woman twice my size was not an easy thing and we stood there trying to hold her as she simultaneously gripped unto a metal pole and gripped unto us. It was quite the scene. After like five minutes or so of trying to keep her from falling headfirst unto the pavement, a fire truck came and the first responders immediately articulated that she was high on PCP. She was rushed to a hospital, and I was left feeling sad and heavyhearted. What happened to this woman that got her to this point in her life? I do not know, and I can only imagine the compounded factors of systemic racism and trauma at play.

 I spent the rest of the afternoon praying for her, and reaching out to various people and asking them to pray for this woman. All this to say, I'm glad that I did something and didn't just pass her by. I pray that her care team at the hospital would see her as a human and not just another patient. I pray that they would see her with the Lord's eyes and would provide her with excellent care. I pray that the Lord would meet her and that she would experience deep healing that touches all aspects of her being - mind, body, soul. Lord, I pray that you would pour out your love on this person. 

The Kid You'll Never Be

The ground no longer reverberates 
with the steps you take, dodging in and out 
gleeful in your silliness 
childlike in the way you douse flowers and 
brothers with water from the hose 

blessed are you, child 
in the punches you throw -
not in the streets but in the ring.

your exuberant laughter is a thing 
to be missed, leaving cavernous 

spaces felt by your community -
we grieve the kid you'll never be 

-this poem was written in memory of Ja'lon James, an 11-year old who was killed in a hit-and-run on 6/16/22. I grieve the reality that black and brown kids do not have the privilege of living as kids unencumbered by trauma and death. I am committed to investing in the neighborhood I live in and the ultimate thriving of the next generation. 

When Your Therapist Starts to Cry

 I had an interesting therapy session yesterday afternoon - halfway through my session with my therapist we somehow got on the topic of gun laws and the recent shootings that have been prevalent across the nation. My therapist was in the middle of recommending a short animated film covering this topic and abruptly paused and burst into tears. Startled, I quickly came to attention and after a few moments passed, she openly shared that her best friend has passed away the night before. Did I come to my therapy session expecting this particular interaction with my therapist? Not necessarily. But something in my heart felt something for her and I paused and asked her if I could pray for her (we quickly realized right from the beginning of our relationship that we are both Christ followers). She quickly said that she would love prayer and so that's what we did. It was a moment when our established hierarchical relationship as therapist/client was leveled out. From one human to another hurting human, I saw it as an opportunity to extend kindness and invite the Lord into a heavy situation. I could tell she was truly grateful, and honestly I was and am as well for what occurred between us. 

As I continue to live this life, I realize that my healing is tied to the healing of others. As much as healing occurs vertically (the Lord encountering me & providing healing experiences), there is something to be said about our interconnectedness as humans, and the bidirectional healing that occurs when we extend forms of healing to others.