COMMENTS FROM TEENS
These comments were received from young people who attended residential camps almost
20 years ago.
Over the years I have met and worked with hundreds of young people. I have loved so many of them. They have touched me in such deep and meaningful ways. My life has been blessed and enriched.
Some I have held as they cried about the abuse of one kind or another, others I have counseled about drugs, alcohol, lost loves, wounded parents.
Some I have held when they have wanted to die.
For quite a few I have become a surrogate mother for a while.
Many have broken through pain, resistance, cruelty and self-harming.
Some have gone home and been an influence for change in their homes.
I remember some who stand out in my memory fondly and I have often wondered how they are.
Imagine my joy and my tears when last year I received emails from three of those special one special young people. After all of those years.
I include their comments here. They speak of the powerful effect of a group of people coming together, learning to love one another with an intention to become whole, healthy, creative and happy. Those experiences were so precious.
Hello Amrita,
I have been thinking about you a lot recently, I searched in google and discovered you are probably in Madrid or even Italy!
The work you do is amazing Amrita. I still have plenty of ways of holding myself back in life and sabotaging the good - but when I get really down, I think back to the workshop I did with you when I was 15 (17 years ago), and feel better. I'd love to see you for a moment when you come back to Australia, if you have the time.
Tu eres una fuerte mujer! (y jo soy)
Ciao, Simone xx
Hi Amrita;
Just a little hello from an old friend - yes, it’s me David (Harmony Holidays 86, 87). I found your web site and thought I would drop you a line.
Looks like you have been busy since we last met. I hope you are well.
A little about my self - I had a few tough years, but no matter how hard it got I just remembered the times and the love I felt on Harmony Holiday. It lifted my spirits and I just got on with it. I am living in Wyong on the NSW Central Coast. I met the love of my life and we were married on Valentines Day 2005. I have a 13 year-old daughter, Sharnie from a previous relationship she's beautiful just like her dad.
I am working at Westfield Shopping Centre as a security supervisor and they have just made me permanent.
I have enclosed a couple of wedding photos for you. How happy do we look?
Well had better close now, Love always David & Cassie
From Karen
Hi Amrita,
I don't know if you remember me and that's OK as I'm sure that there are many young people whom you have helped throughout the years. To remind you just in case, I met you about 16 years ago at a Brisbane 'Mind, Body and Harmony Show' when I was 16 years old and living out of home supporting myself through school.
You sponsored me to attend a camp at Samford. I think I shared my story with you. It was an interesting beginning of my journey in which I still feel you 'saved' me mainly from many of life’s sabotaging life choices as well as showing what trust is.
To summarise the past 14 years. I became and actor (yes its true that all actors have a screw loose somewhere), after being accepted and studying at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) and then I began traveling the world so to speak.
I returned to study Social Work after discovering Drama Therapy and have recently returned to Northern New South Wales and am employed as a Locum Social Worker for the North Coast Area Health Services. I am currently working at a Hospital where I have recently moved to and hope to stay for a while.
I tell you all this because I hope to meet with you one day, if you have the time, mainly because you affected this journey of mine so much and you were always such an inspiration. One person is enough and I have always believed that. But primarily I want to give something back, to you and the community and to hopefully hear your journey in how to go about this.
But the final and most important reason is that I want to say thank you. I feel I have come so far and felt like I needed to let you know, I have been waiting for the right time to contact you to tell you this and wanted to wait until I had finished my degree and could proudly let you know. I have been a successful academic, in fact top of my year in both third and fourth year inspiring me to enroll in a masters in which I am still contemplating in the area of gestalt therapy. I would love to hear your views.
Anyway, I hope this reaches you and that it inspires you in knowing that there must be many young peoples lives that you have affected and changed and 'saved' (at the moment I can't think of a better way to explain).
I would love you to email me if you have the time and would travel to meet you for a coffee if you feel that it would be appropriate and that you would be Ok with that.
I look forward to investigating further your website and books. All my best.
Karen
This is from Karen’s second letter to me.
Thank you so much for your lovely words and for remembering me. I have indeed come along way and wish to inspire others ...(so for the following but the child in me needs to let you know) being that I had to attend 'special' classes for learning deficits as a young child I feel I have challenged that with great success. The University I attended is very prestigious and being there forced me to attempt to challenge that amongst the students. I also became president of the student social work association...difficultly was challenging and inspiring academia and issues of power and authority something I think that you have mastered.........
I love what you do.... and it does take a village to raise a child. I have been working in child protection for a while... very hard for me of course but rewarding. I am not working in that sector at the moment but have reluctantly applied in NSW. I feel my worth is in others areas, but I acknowledge and appreciate knowing how many young people slip through the system and how there is not enough funds to assist early interventions.
My thoughts for you are expansive. I will continue my work here and hope on your return with all that you had hoped for and that I have found a millionaire who will finance your dream. Anything else I can do for you I will.
Anyone I know who may know someone who may know someone for your book I WILL pursue.
I have faith and passion and practical ability to assist. I have a good feeling that an opportunity will arise at some point that I hope will assist in your ventures.
So until then I shall say goodbye...and thank you.... to affect one young person is infectious as you imagine the ripple affect you created in reaching out to me alone??????????
By the way you look fantastic in your attached brochure. Did you cheat and post a photo from days gone by? And yes it was that long ago... my history reminds me... and now.... a light... a journey and the need for that to happen.
A VERY LONG RITES OF PASSAGE. I even wrote my 4th Year Thesis in my BA course on the rites of passage for young rural men in Western Australia and wrote, workshopped and directed a one man show on it.... funny ... I only just made that connection. But my own rites of passage took a while. I am here and now have a wonderful and forgiving relationship with my Mother.... a truly beautiful person.... also my Dad but of course...things are as they are...
My love and sanity to you in your journey... Live, Love and Laugh as life IS a daring adventure!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.........
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