What if “We” had no place to call home?

Take a deep breath, I tell myself as I contemplate the sights around me along the Interstate 5 Corridor between Portland and Seattle. After that long breath, I remind myself of how grateful I am to have a roof over my head.? Yet I can’t help but feel dizzy and a bit sick to my stomach. Tents, litter, and the rise of homelessness in the Pacific Northwest region blends in with what was once a tapestry of lush evergreen trees along the 160-mile drive. It’s surreal. How? Why? I ask myself, what can be done?

I realized that before I could attempt to problem solve, I needed to ask myself what’s really making me sick? While the ecological damage caused by litter in our streams, threatening to all sorts of habitats, comes to mind, what I’m really avoiding considering are the humans, the people, the you and me (and their families) without a roof over their heads. How can they possibly live through the rainy and cold seasons under the scraps of a home, be it a patched tent, a graffiti decorated bridge or just a wet sleeping bag??

My heart truly aches when I look into the mirror of life and consider that it could be me on the streets, hopelessly seeking shelter or any kind of help. How and why does this happen? What would “I” do if I had nowhere to really call home, no one to call family, and was often drowning in my harsh reality of endless hindrances and disabilities? Access to the help “I” need the most—mental, physical, or emotional—seem impossible to find. If it is found, it’s for just a fleeting moment during a rare warm meal, or access to temporary housing.

Even imagining my homelessness brought on a feeling of helplessness, so I quickly jump back on the wagon of gratitude. Today is not the day to take a shower for granted, or to be picky about what’s for dinner. Another deep breath, as the somewhat scenic drive reveals yet another modern-day challenge—plastic litter windblown miles and miles away from the “encampments” or “my-home-is-here-now” series of tents and makeshift homes.?

Imagine that in the blink of an eye, what’s left of a home can be taken away by mother nature and scattered. Pieces of mattresses, takeout containers, clothing, plastic bags, cups, needles, and even strollers are now abandoned across parks, forests, and on the freeway. My heart sinks again. Having a roof over our heads is a necessity and a privilege—not something to take for granted. I imagine that being at the mercy of the weather also means you have to constantly rebuild, resulting in more litter, trash, and junk emptying into creeks, rivers, and oceans.?

A thousand thoughts go through my mind about how “they” or “I” eventually got to this place—a place without a home? I can only imagine the trauma that has led 1000s of humans like you and me to be displaced from where they once called home. Whether the cause is abuse, domestic violence, pure bad luck, or whatever else, it does and doesn’t matter. What matters is staring at this suffering and wondering, what “I” can do? The circle of life connects us all and the ripple effects of homelessness is not something we can just turn away from—I tried, and there was no other way but to face it head on. It can happen to all of us and in fact:

Seven out of ten Americans are one paycheck away from being homeless. – Pras Michel

At this point, my thoughts couldn’t help but to drift away from local realities towards my brothers and sisters currently being displaced from and within Ukraine with “no to temporary places to call home,” as world peace is threatened beyond anything we could have imagined in our lifetimes.?I pray for world peace even as I feel helpless in the face of worldwide unrest. I’m thinking of friends and families across Eastern Europe and their loved ones. It’s unthinkable… I admire their courage, resilience, and their desire to find a “home”; to find a safer haven than their current environment. It's a reminder to myself that today is not the day to take life or peace for granted. Where’s home when you don’t know where to go??

Whether on the streets, without a shelter, or marching for your life (or the lives of others), I stand with you. While I don’t know where home is, I do know that you’re not alone, and may the universe turn the tides of these trends. As I arrive “home,” I hold my hands together and chant: “I’m grateful to have a roof over my head.”?

While the Seattle to Portland trip comes to an end, I take another deep breath – this one is to recognize the many individuals and organizations that continue to dedicate their missions to reducing homelessness around the world and providing support to refugees. I am grateful to have hope for a future where a roof over ALL (and needed services) are not a privilege but a basic human right. Thank you for the privilege you’ve provided volunteers to get a glimpse into the daily lives of “the homeless” and the opportunity to serve – To meet and interact with our brothers and sisters, needing beyond a roof to feel - seen, cared for, wanted and loved.?

Local:?@Seattle Union Gospel Mission, Alex Stephany and the Beam team in the UK, Mary’s Place, The Sophia Way,? GLIDE in SF, The New Bethlehem Place Day Center in Kirkland, WA | National: “Uncle Sam”?| Global: UNHCR, IRC?

More can be done; more is yet to be done – Let’s continue to heal our world and break the vicious cycles that interconnect with homelessness regardless of how “we” got there in the first place.

Are you home? Are you safe? Hugs and love as I ponder on? this final quote:.?

Like you, I know people who drink, people who do drugs, and bosses who have tantrums and treat their subordinates like dirt. They all have good jobs. Were they to become homeless, some of them would surely also become ‘alcoholics,’ ‘addicts,’ or ‘mentally ill. – Elliot Liebow