Homelessness is something I thought I’d never experience, but sometimes life creates a perfect storm that sweeps you away.
I never thought I’d see some of the ugliness that came out of people being in that situation. I also never thought I’d see such deep compassion.
Three months. Only three months, but it felt like years. Years of being adrift, sleeping in strange places with thin walls where unfamiliar voices echoed through the night.
And here’s the strange part: when you’ve already lost almost everything, some people still try to take more. They go after what little you have left, the things that kept you grounded, the people you held onto just to stay standing.
This experience opened my eyes even more to the quiet, complicated nature of this world. But more than anything, it humbled me.
I’ve learned the value of persistence. Sometimes you wash your scrubs in the sink before work because that’s the only choice you have. You keep showing up. You keep moving forward, no matter how difficult it gets or how many times someone tries to knock you down.
I’ve learned that sometimes love gets difficult, and it’s better to stay and fight for something real than run from the problems just because it isn’t always easy. I’ve learned to look deeper into how people end up where they are and not to judge them for it. Most of all, I’ve learned to be truly grateful for what I do have, because what I have is mine, and there’s a quiet kind of beauty in that.
Sharing this is uncomfortable, and part of me wanted to keep it to myself. But I think it’s important to be honest about what life can really look like sometimes. I believe there’s value in naming those struggles, especially if it helps someone else feel less alone or reminds them that even the hardest seasons can be overcome.
There’s still a long road ahead of me.
I know that.
But for now, I have a quiet place to rest my head, a home to call my own, a moment to breathe. I have a family I fought hard to keep, and a really beautiful view that reminds me just how far I’ve come.