Ink & Shadows: The Words of Osiris j Reapor

My job can be exhausting—both emotionally and physically. Many of the adolescents I work with are broken, untrusting, aggressive, and in pain. Some have deep issues with authority, are rebellious, antagonistic—some are outright violent. Others are spoiled, lack a sense of boundaries, or refuse to take direction. Children of chaos and brokenness, like me.

But every child I am able to help, even in the smallest way, makes all the exhaustion worth it. Still, my heart breaks for each child I cannot help—for every life I didn’t reach in time. The hardest part of my job is knowing that I cannot truly save anyone. I can give them all the tools, all the advice, all the therapy they need, but if they don’t use them, it won’t matter.

And yet, I hope. Because there is hope.