Thanksgiving and the Three Brothers
The image features three boys on bikes.
Holidays always stand out at Skookum’s emergency shelter. They’re festive and fun, someone is always dropping off baked goods or last-minute decorations, and I love the idea of communities coming together to pull off something magical. Maybe that’s why I’m such a sucker for hallmark movies. Obviously life isn’t a hallmark movie, especially life within the foster care system, and so my love for the holidays at the house tends to feel a little wrong; heavy even.
This year on Thanksgiving, Skookum Kids took in a set of three brothers. They were rowdy and funny, and full of energy. They played with every single toy in the house and read almost every book. On Thanksgiving they ate turkey and stuffing and plenty of pumpkin pie, and we played football in the yard the next day.
Because of the holiday, they were with us an entire week, instead of the usual 72 hours. The extra few days seemed like years as we got to watch them learn and grow and get used to their new surroundings. The youngest brother started saying new words and was stringing them together by the end of the week, and the older boys learned to ride bikes for the very first time.
“Many hands make light work. But I think it’s also true that many hands make light hearts. ”
By the end of the week, the boys had put miles and miles on those bikes, even just riding them in laps around the driveway when there wasn’t time for a longer adventure. One morning, with frost still on the ground, we dug out coats and hats and gloves and set off on the bikes to a nearby park. Halfway up the hill though, one of the boys ran out of steam. He stopped pedaling and started rolling backwards. As a new bike-rider, he wasn’t sure what to do and a look of panic spread across his face. His older brother hopped off his bike, and when we all caught up to him, we got behind him and started pushing him back up the hill. His face of terror turned into a huge smile, and we all laughed and cheered as we reached the top.
Many hands make light work. But I think it’s also true that many hands make light hearts.
The idea of three boys spending the holiday with a group of strangers because they have no place to go, is a dark one. Maybe it feels similar to realizing you’re rolling down a hill rather than riding up it. But when many hands come together to push you back up, it’s hard not to smile.
More than 30 volunteers spent at least four hours at the house throughout the week; all bringing their unique skills to brighten a very scary moment in the lives of three brothers. Thirty people, giving what they could of their time and energy to make an impossible lift seem easy. Attached to those 30 volunteers are countless other people; parents who handled bedtime solo so their spouse could tuck in three different kids across town, college students who covered restaurant shifts so their coworkers could pick up house shifts, families who saved leftovers or rescheduled traditions so their family members could be a part of something heavy but special.
I think of the kids who have turned their birthday parties into service projects, and the businesses who have packed their restaurants to give their proceeds back to the community, and the staff members at Skookum who write thank you notes and file paperwork together rather than in their own offices. Foster care is dark, but the work is lighter when we do it together.
Many hands and hearts make the work of Skookum happen, but there is always room for more. If you have time or skills to share, we’d love to lift this heavy thing with you. Your effort will be felt by the kids in our homes and the parents who need some support, and by the members of our community already pushing us up the hill.