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Reminded of beauty.

I still got flowers even if I didn’t go in this month. The flowers are in a vase on my kitchen table, and they remind me of beauty. Different types of flowers and green things which complement each other. The women had made them themselves in a flower decoration course, and had made bouquets specifically for us when they knew we were coming. It’s good to be reminded that lives are impacted; that what we do is making a difference, and that it’s individuals who are so different we are meeting. And that each one has their own beauty we are allowed to see if we look for it.

Every month we organise a women’s evening in the prison and do wellness (facials, massages, footbaths, etc.). One of my favourite parts of my job, and an opportunity to invest in relationships, which might lead them one step closer to making it once they transition back to “normal life”. I am always amazed at what these women have in them of hopes and dreams... or the lack of thoughts about future, which gives me the chance to just meet them where they are at and build them up in that place. One thing they all have in common is the presence of beauty. When I talk to them I try to see what it is that is unique to them, and what brings life to their eyes when they talk about it. Because one of the characteristics of beauty can be seen in eyes that have life in them.

Tomorrow I start my holiday. It’s good to enter into it with a reminder that it’s worth investing into peoples’ lives. And a reminder to look for beauty, not just at work, but always. Every person has it, you just have to look for it.

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