"Judy, I’m hyped!” a teenage boy yells at me. He is jumping, running and teasing the other kids. I walk up to Jacob with a steady pace. By the time I reach him, he is on the floor and I crouch down to talk with him, resting my arms on my knees with my hands open in front of him. “How can I help you? Do you want to go to the Therapy Room to get some energy out and talk? I think that you need to go. Come on…”

As we enter the Therapy Room, Jacob starts bouncing a ball against the floor and walls. I ask what’s going on and he tells me he feels angry and anxious. I ask if that’s why he was calling other staff, residents and me names. Yes, he says, but he didn’t mean it. We were just a place for him to direct his frustration. We continue to talk as he bounces the ball slower and softer. He collapses into a beanbag chair and tells me why he is upset.

Although a lot of what I encounter is difficult to see and deal with, I love what I do. My patience has grown through dealing with children whose unique situations are understandably frustrating. My work is helping me move toward my dream of becoming a psychologist because I see such need for it in my ministry. I have little doubt this is what I am meant to do. Most importantly, I love my life more each day because, despite the hard times, I am filled with joy through my work in helping others.