Finding Serenity – wayne centrone

I have this picture in my head. It is a high mountain meadow filled with flowers in the early spring. The vision is of a place that instantly brings me a sense of comfort.

As much as my memory can confirm, I visited such a place as a young boy. While on a camping trip with my father, I wandered into this idyllic mountain oasis. It was a true paradise for my soul.

I think about this experience when I feel overwhelmed or uncertain. The memory grounds me. It reminds me that out there is a place of serenity.

There are a lot of uncertainties in the work we do with HBI. There are the uncertain futures of the children we support. The uncertain funds that we need to keep our programs and projects running. The uncertain nature of holding a vision for a place that may or may not ever materialize. Its okay for so much of our work to be uncertain . . . as long as we hold to the certainty that our work is about building toward a place of serenity.

One thing is sure – our work is about holding on to hope. In challenging times, we keep reminding ourselves where we are heading – a world where every child can access a life built on health, hope, home, and purpose.

When things feel a bit overwhelming . . . when the stress of trying to figure out how we will pay for the additional boys that need a safe home and a supportive place to build the lives they deserve . . . I remind myself that waiting to be discovered is a place of serenity – and my work is to help bring that reality to everyone we serve.