Week 5: The All-Access Family

Hi everyone,

It's Alex and this week I want to stop and reflect on the amazing people I get to work with and the family that has formed amongst the members of the All-Access crew! Out on islands it gets hot and tiring but everyone plays a vital role in the operation known as AABH. We have the privilege of working with hundreds of people each day and we get to bear witness to the ecstatic, sometimes petrified look on people's faces as they pull up their first ever skate, lobster, fish, or even a crab.

The JPA's, LHE's, and my fellow SHE are all incredible people which I believe has made for an unforgettable summer so far. The energy that everyone brings always gives me a boost after my 5am start to the day and long commute into the city. Every morning I am genuinely excited to go into work and that is a testament to my amazing co-workers that I get to spend time with on a daily basis.

However, like any family unit, problems always arise. What means the most to me is that our group has tremendous resolve and we all have each other's back and pick one another up. Even when tensions run high or adversity strikes, we all work together to get the job done. I believe the key attribute that has allowed for a successful summer thus far is patience. Everyone has been patient with me, patient with each other, and patient with themselves internally. On an island with hundreds of kids (and sometimes adults) clamoring to get a hold of a fishing rod, it can become difficult to maintain patience when hooks are flying and crabs are scurrying all over the pier with everyone shrieking in fear. The endurance required to work with kids is palpable but it certainly has a profound impact not only on us as staff, but on everyone we might come in contact with.

The highlight of the summer for me personally came towards the end of the day out on George's Island a couple weeks back. It was steaming hot and we had spent the day out on the pier fishing with hundreds of impatient kids, trying to ensure everyone got a chance to hold the rod. As we prepared to board the boat, a young boy around the age of 7 came up to me from his group and wrapped his little arms around my knees and whispered "thank you." The brief gesture and only two words from this small boy meant the world to me and is something that I will never forget. It makes all of the frustrating, stressful, and tiring days worth it. It is what keeps me going each and every day and has inspired me to pursue a career where I can hopefully have that impact on as many people as possible. Furthermore, I think it speak volumes to the work that everyone at SHSB does as the ultimate goal is to inspire and enhance the lives of every child and adult we come in contact with. I think it's important to reflect on how it is the small moments, gestures, and words that really mean the most as the words of Albert Einstein crystallize this sentiment succinctly...

Food for thought going into week 6: "There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle."


SEA YA ON THE ISLANDS,
Alex