Hope and Babies

Yesterday, I attended a baby shower in my office. It was a potluck surprise lunch for my friend "Mad Mac", who's going to be a Dad for the first time. This will be his staring role in life; one that I believe he has been dreaming of for a very long time. Recently, he started his own blog to capture life's wisdom that he learned from his own father that he will try to pass on to his little one. Every post is an interpretation of a saying that his father uses, some of which are hilariously classic examples of Maritime/Miramichi humour. And every time I read one, I am taken with the amount of pride and sense of belonging that "Mad Mac" has as a member of his family gang. I'm sure it's not without it's bumps and bruises, ups and downs, happiness and sorrow.........but his gang is honest, unconditional and full of love. His new baby is already well-loved and she hasn't made her entrance into this world yet. She's due on St. Patricks Day. And the whole office is excited to welcome her to "Mad Mac's" extended work family.

The baby shower brought back memories of all the other baby showers that colleagues have thrown over the years and of their everflowing and overwhelming generosity shown to the expectant parent. People go all out. We are a group of people who love babies. Whenever one is heard or seen coming in through the door, there's a guarantee that you will see at least a handful of staff ooogling and coooooing before the baby has had a chance to be lifted out of his/her carseat. Granted, most of my office is comprised of maternal women, I think there's more to it than meets the eye. The men also share this affinity.

No, it has more to do with two other reasons.

We work with people who are receiving social assistance. Day in and day out, we hear human stories of despair, poverty, illness and struggle. Every individual who arrives at the reception desk has experienced walking a difficult path in their life. By the time they reach our door, they know that that are at the end of their path. We're the last resort. Our role in the frontline is to assist them financially, but more importantly, to counsel and guide them back towards opportunity and self-sufficiency. Sometimes we succeed............oftentimes we see the same clients over and over again.........then there are the times when a colleague has to inform an individual that they don't qualify, or that their assistance has been cut off due to a change in their situation that goes against policy and regulations or their financial status has improved by a blip. Luckily in my role, I don't have to do that.

Frontline confrontations...........Frontline reality...........it's an emotional minefield. Often conversations, particularly about tough policy decisions that impact a family's financial future, are tinged with frustration over not being able to help more, and guilt over having to work within the confines of strict legislation. They are all pros, however, and have been working for many years in the field, and know how to protect their own emotional well-being. Yet, there are always situations that get under their skin and pierce their hearts. These are situations often involving babies and young children, where inherently you want to go the extra mile to ensure their health, safety and love and belonging needs................and can't.

Babies exude hope, and new beginnings. Babies provide a soft-hearted diversion.

Babies can also be the innocent face of poverty and neglect. More times than I care to remember have I wanted to take over the care of an infant who obviously is not being well-cared for. It just doesn't seem fair that a tiny being's future is so bleakly predictable at the start of their life. But...............there are systems in place to deal with those issues, right? Well, that's a subject for another blog posting another time..........

The second reason why celebrations of the birth of a newbie in my office stems from the heartbreak of seeing a baby who isn't lucky enough to be born into a family who may not even know how to care for him or her. After so many years of facing this ongoing issue, there is a sense that we all are part of a global village community. We are responsible in many ways for others. Our efforts everyday impact the lives of others. So, it transfers onto the people you work beside. I spend my workdays with special loving individuals who always have shown their compassion for each other's family's at home.

Is this unusual? I think so. Is this why I continue to work in the frontlines? You bet. It sure as hell isn't the salary!

I have been the recipient of two baby showers in the past. The joy and generosity shown to me then was overwhelming and very special. My children are theirs too. Just like Baby Mac will be.