EHS Pillars - Fall 2017

COLLEAGUES
SHOW CARING AND
CONNECTION
by Patricia Houser, College Counseling
I don't know about your family, but food is central to nearly every event in mine. Indulging in a
celebratory dessert, turning to favorite comfort foods in times of grief, or gathering around a
table to break bread together in fellowship, food has a way of connecting us.
For better or worse, colleagues often become a second family, dysfunctional as it may be.
Even on a good day, we find that we spend more waking hours with our coworkers than we
do our own families. In the days following the hurricane, we began to learn that many of those
colleagues had been impacted by the storm, some marginally and some catastrophically.
The opportunity arose to coordinate a meal train for a few members of our faculty and staff
who had to secure temporary housing because their homes were uninhabitable. As food is a
primary love language for me, I was eager to take on the task of organizing.
I expected the work of communicating needs and coordinating days to fill a simple need
within the community, providing members of our team with a little extra love and support.
What I didn't expect was that doing so would make me fall in love with our EHS family all over
again. First, the outpouring of love was overwhelming. So many members of our community
offered to prepare meals on an ongoing basis and still others generously purchased gift
cards to local restaurants to make eating out or carry‐out easy options on those particularly
hectic days. Second, the care and dignity shown was beautiful. Nobody needed to know
who would be receiving the meals on the other end. It didn't matter. And questions about
preferences and food allergies and special requests arose time and time again. Some of
the meals were so elaborate, I suspect our families ate like kings for days. As the one lucky
enough to get to hand off those meals, I got to see the relief that came with marking off one
small task from the growing list, knowing dinner was covered. As one recipient welcomed
a meal, she offered, "We don't even have a salt shaker at our new place." I began to look
forward to scurrying around campus to deliver meals as I got to know colleagues I didn't
previously know very well—both those who'd cooked and those receiving meals—a welcome
opportunity. As I said, food has a way of connecting people. The generosity of our faculty
and staff community was remarkable; the gratitude on the other end was palpable. And I was
reminded once again what a wonderful, special place this is.
Tragedies such as Hurricane Harvey bring out that most basic instinct in all of us to help
when someone is in need. Witnessing that truly restores your faith in humanity. I count myself
so blessed to work at Episcopal High School and to call the wonderful folks I work with every
day my second—more functional than most—family.
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