The week I spent in New Orleans serving Project Lazarus was indescribable. It was everything I hoped it would be, and more. I met the most incredible people and it was, without a doubt, one of the best Thanksgiving's I've ever had.
New Orleans. What an amazing city. It was my first time going there and I'd go back in a heartbeat. Maybe this is strange, but the first thing I noticed about it was the smell. I'm not really sure how to describe it...I guess spicy works. It smells spicy. And everything is so colorful. The streets. The beads. The masks. The food (beignets are an amazing creation of deliciousness). The people. It's full of color. Full of life. As I walked through the streets, I couldn't help but stare at everything, trying to take it all in.
Especially all the sounds. I think I fell in love with jazz music all over again. The street musicians are awesome there and so talented. I'd look down and see my foot tapping and I didn't even realize it. I had to stop myself from throwing all my money in buckets or open guitar cases, the music was just too good!
And the weather was amazing too the entire week. Sunny and 75 degrees. I was definitely getting spoiled by the end of the week.
I can easily see how people can become enchanted by this city. But I think it took me a week living there to get a true taste of what it's like. Beneath the glitz and glam, I saw some hurt. Some struggle. Some desperation. I saw it in the tired eyes of street performers trying to make ends meet. I saw it in a drunk stumbling through the park asking for money. I saw it in a man coming over to ask for cigarettes and sending over his daughter (I think) a few minutes later to ask again for cigarettes. She looked about 7 years old. People struggle through life daily. But I still loved the city, for what it is and what it isn't. The good and the not so good.
The first couple days of the week we mostly did yard work. I was slightly disappointed because I'm not a huge fan of yard work and I really wanted to meet the residents as soon as possible. I'm not the most patient person when it comes to yard work because it's so tedious. But it turned out being really great. It was good for me to pull some weeds and monkey grass. The director of facilities there worked right along side us and had some really good insights on life. I didn't expect a director of facilities to be so invested in a place like Lazarus and its residents. But she was. And she reminded us that everything we were doing was making the place more beautiful for the residents - and they deserve that. I have to admit, there's something about working outside in the sun that soothes the soul. It made me feel good at the end of the day. Good and tired complete with sore muscles. And lots of mosquito bites.
I think meeting and interacting with the residents was the highlight of my trip. They each had some awesome life stories. I think they helped me more than I helped them, to be honest. I learned so much from them, about life and about myself.
I learned not to settle for anything less than what makes me happy. That includes anything from a job to even someone I might date. And to not just study something because it will get me a job, I need to do what I love. I should look forward to waking up each morning. And it's ok to not know exactly what I want to do in my life. And it's ok to even change career paths halfway through life. Because it's not ok to hate your life or hate what you do. I should travel as much as possible and learn about other cultures that are different from mine. And it's important to get an education no matter what.
One resident said something that stayed with me. He asked me what my plans were in life, and I said I'm not exactly sure because so much could change in the future. He told me - if you make peace with yourself and with your Maker, your future isn't going to change. He has it all mapped out.
- I don't think I'll ever forget that.
That week was definitely a time of life affirmation for me. It just affirmed that I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing in life. I woke up each morning refreshed and ready to go serve Lazarus any way I could. And it made me happier than anything else. It made me realize I'm happiest when I'm serving others, and the medical field will allow me to do that every day.
Side note: I learned how to play Spades much better this week, which was a lot of fun. They're very serious about their Spades down there. Very intense and competitive, but I loved it. It took me out of my element and put the residents completely in theirs. And it was something they enjoyed, so I enjoyed it too.
I got to know some of the most interesting and unique people I've ever met. Inspirational too. They didn't treat HIV as a death sentence. They treated it as a life challenge. Some of them advocate for HIV/AIDS awareness, which is awesome. They are happy and positive people, even though they are positive (oh the irony). They smiled, laughed and were open to us. Many of the residents come from very hard lives that I can't even imagine. Alcoholism. Drug addiction. Foster homes. Prison. Broken families. But their difficult lives didn't make them cold or harsh. They are some of the nicest and most compassionate people. Hilarious too. I wish I could be more like them.
I think it's ridiculous that there's still a stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS. I'm not even sure why there's still any stigma at all. Maybe people play into the stereotypes? But in reality, they're exactly the same people. They're the same as me. No different. They may have made some different decisions than I did. But that doesn't make me any better. Gay, lesbian, transgender, alcoholic, drug addict, men, women, it doesn't really matter to me. They're beautiful people. I have my own vices that I struggle with. We all do. No one's perfect. I won't judge anyone for their past and hopefully no one will judge me for mine.
If Project Lazarus taught me anything, it's that second chances are vital to life. We all need them, I know I do all the time. And that's what Project Lazarus is, a second chance. Also, my life is ridiculously easy and I have no right to complain about anything.
This break I got to live out what Thanksgiving means. And I loved every minute of it. This Thanksgiving especially I was truly thankful for life, for health, for people and for love.
Thanksgiving isn't about the turkey, the food, or the pies. Although that might be a plus, it's not what it's about. It's about family and friends. My group and the residents became my family that week, and I wouldn't have wanted to spend it any other way.
Thanksgiving isn't about going around the table to say what you're thankful for. It's living out your thankfulness in daily life. I can say I'm thankful for something or someone as much as I want, but what does that really mean if my life doesn't reflect that? Unless I do something about it, it doesn't really mean as much. I'm thankful for life, so I gave up a week of mine to Project Lazarus so that the people there could have a better one. I'm not saying I'm a perfect example, far from it. But that week gave me a deeper meaning of what service and thanksgiving really means.
I missed Project Lazarus the second we left. I miss my group all living in the same room. The snoring at night. The heavy legs and eyelids at the end of the day after walking everywhere and getting the minimum amount of sleep. The city. The colors. The sounds. But most of all, the residents. Their personalities. Their stories. Their struggles. I just want to be right beside them helping any way that I can.
I'll never forget that week as long as I live. And I can't wait to see how Project Lazarus fits into my future.
Thanks for the best week N'awlins.
(Now that's an understatement if I ever heard one)
Cheers.
Awesome post, Sarah!
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