NONPROFIT OF THE MONTH
BY ERIC Former Devereux Texas Client
CARING is the NEW COOL
I
always wanted to be cool. I thought I was cool, and then I came to Devereux Texas. I came to Devereux when I was a skinny, cool, 14-year-old kid who knew everything. My parents brought me and when it was time to say goodbye, I did the“ uncoolest” thing ever. It may have been 5 years ago, but it might as well have been 5 minutes ago. I regret that day. I always will.
When it hit me that my parents were leaving me, something came over me. I just stood there at the residential unit door and a horrible panic came over me. All the sudden I reached out and shook my mom’ s hand. I remember her looking at me strange. Then I shook my dad’ s hand and said to both of them,“ Bye.” I turned around and walked to my room. I sat on my bed. I put my head in my hands and started crying so hard. I thought to myself,“ What did I just do? Why didn’ t I hug them? I love them. Why did I have to act cool?” I didn’ t see my mom and dad for a year.
I learned something during that year from my teachers, therapists, and Direct Support Professionals( DSP’ s). I learned that acting cool can hurt people. It can hurt people you love the most, like your parents. Now, I didn’ t like them telling me this. I was too cool for them to tell me that my way of acting cool wasn’ t cool. I liked acting cool. It helped me feel less afraid.
I was afraid a lot when I first got to Devereux. My teachers taught me that learning is a wise cool. My DSP’ s taught me that self-control is cool. My therapist taught me that taking responsibility for my actions is cool. I didn’ t like that acting cool hurt my mom and dad. I thought about it every day for a year. I knew I needed to face them as a man with this so, when I saw them, the first thing I said was,“ I’ m sorry I had to act cool that day. I’ m sorry I hurt you. Can I give you a hug now?” My parents gave me the best hugs that day, and I gave them the best hugs back. If I hadn’ t listened and learned from my Devereux family, I wouldn’ t have been able to make it right with my family.
One day, I finally had a talk with myself. I’ m adopted, and my parents could have picked any baby in the whole world, and they picked me. Then, they put in the best place ever to get me help— Devereux Texas. So, I really stepped it up. I was able to get a job off campus at South Shore Harbor Resort, and volunteered at the Galveston Food Bank.
Read the rest of Eric’ s story HERE.
Thank you, Devereux Texas, for teaching me that caring is the new cool.
Please visit www. devereuxtx. org or contact Joni Robertson, Director of Development at 281-316-5423 or by email jroberts @ devereux. org.
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