In Crisis? 
Last week I had the awesome opportunity to attend the Canadian Mental Health Association’s Heroes Awards. Though I always find this event to be one of the most inspirational experiences I have in any given year, being able to attend an event where so many volunteers of Klinic were being honoured in the nominations was truly special. I have had many years to reflect on what makes a Hero through my involvement with this event, and it seems to be something that is continually evolving in my head.
It is however evident to me that people who give their time freely, time being one of the most precious and valuable things that we have to offer, certainly are heroic to me. At Klinic our volunteer workforce is literally the backbone of many of our programs, and a critical component in keeping our crisis lines open and operating 24/7 365 days a year.
The type of work that our volunteers (and staff) are involved in is some of the most difficult work that anyone can do. They support people often when they are at a devastating place, such as a mental health or physical health crisis, suicidal thoughts, sexual assault, or dealing with an addiction. They also help change the world through working with young people in creating positive environments, where they have the information they need to make good decisions and support each other. Having spent a great deal of my career in the humbling position of supporting people who do this very hard work, I am constantly amazed by the will of the human spirit and in particular by the ability of these helpers to be able to sit with another’s pain, and simply ask, how can I help?
I also often wonder… what would the world be like if this were something we all were able to do? To sit with our fellow human beings, whether it be a loved one or a complete stranger, and help create a container for their pain, a safe place to share it, so that perhaps they can find a way through. What if we all made it our personal mission to create more positive environments where everyone can feel safe?
It is in this that I think maybe I find perhaps part of my definition of a Hero. A hero to me is a person who is able to be truly there when presented with another’s pain or difficulty, and see through that to the full person, the hopes and dreams and aspirations of the full human potential, and to determine that they have a role in helping that fellow human through. The people who can do this show all of us a path that we can take, where we choose gratitude and acceptance of one another, and that we may all at one time or another be on either end of that phone call.
Watching the volunteers of Klinic receive recognition for the work that they do at this event was incredibly heartening for me and I am left feeling an even greater sense of gratitude.
Thank you Thank you Thank you.
Stay tuned for my Nicole’s Notes from the lines as I do my Day in the Life experiences in both the Winnipeg and Brandon call rooms in the coming weeks.