It Takes Patience

Sometimes you only see a child a couple times; sometimes a child keeps coming back to Reach—but then suddenly disappears and you wonder if you’ll ever see them again. It’s hard to know if you’ve made any difference in the lives of these children and you wonder if what you are trying to do really matters. It’s nice to see “results”… to sow the seed, cultivate and hopefully “reap the harvest”. Though I am impatient to see the harvest, it isn’t a guarantee and so I have to patiently continue sowing the seed and cultivating the growth as best I can.

I came home today to a message on the phone from a girl who started coming to Reach over 4 years ago. I lost track of her for the last year or so. She was one of those students who makes you feel like its all worth it. She came from the neighborhood, just across Washington Ave. It took a long time before I actually met her mom. After Patience had been coming to our different programming—Creative Connections and then on scholarship to the Open Clay Studio for about a year, I read in the paper that her dad (she did not live with him) was involved in a conflict and was fatally shot. It was good that Patience continued to come and be involved. But then she moved and we lost track of her.

That’s why it was so nice to get a phone call from her. And she was excited to tell me that she was really doing well with pottery making, thanks to Reach. She had been living in St Johns and had taken pottery at her school. She was also excited to tell me that she was back in Lansing, so wants to try to get over to Reach again. I can’t believe she starts high school this fall.

Then it’s a great blessing to consider the people who have been impacted by their time at Reach. Perhaps they might look back one day (like Patience did with me on the phone tonight) and recognize that something changed for the better for them by being part of Reach. There are others too. Laurie is now producing beautiful ceramics on her own. She learned at Reach. Kri has seen growth in her artistic capabilities too. She started coming to Open Clay and has been since taken under the wing of our “clay people” to be mentored for her high school AP Art portfolio. They have attested to Kri’s artistic transformation since coming to Reach.

Reach is 5 ½ years old now. Once in a while I get a window into how a life has been positively impacted, but one thing’s for sure—it takes patience.