“And it’s been quite some time now…”
Sometimes, we only understand things when looked at through the perspective of time.
And then one remembers. Remembers how I randomly found Lighthouse/Migdalor via a Facebook post. Remembers what year 1 felt like, and the initial, sensitive exposure to the world of youth in distress.
The transfer to the street team that felt so right. The crises we shared. The mutual pain and worry. The emptiness and the fulfillment. When to take responsibility and when to let go. The ability to listen, and not just be heard.
The understanding that rather than fixing the world, one can just be in it. Learning to trust them. Learning to trust myself. And eventually - choosing to believe the inner compass that exists within all of us and guides us, in spite of our lives’ circumstances, telling us what’s right.
And that’s how 3 years quickly go by.
As a volunteer, Migdalor/Lighthouse was maybe the only place that still felt stable and permanent in the last few years of my life. As an individual, everything in my private life has changed.
I moved, I traveled to so many places, I started school, I dropped out, I found new hobbies, I changed jobs, I’ve been through never-ending journeys.
But there was this one day a week that was dedicated to these wonderful youths.
You can see how much I’ve gotten in return, so I just wanted to say thanks for the opportunity. Thanks for the space to be myself.
Maybe I’m not out there looking for youth on the streets of Petach Tikva, but the scent, the atmosphere and the curiosity are engraved in me every Thursday night.
Fill your hearts with love, and spread it everywhere you can. That’s all they need.
Shira Pe’er has been a Migdalor volunteer in Patch Tikva for the last 3 years. These were her words to summarize her time there, and to welcome the new year.
Migdalor/Lighthouse centers work with adolescents who find it difficult to integrate into traditional educational institutions, using hobbies and education. You can read more about them on our website.
