When I first started looking into Maggie’s Place, one of the aspects that appealed most to me was our core values and how they enable us to concretely live the mission of welcoming women into a community filled with love and dignity. Our four core values are: love, hospitality, community, and excellence. As MissionCorps members, Staff, and Maggie’s Place extended family, we hold ourselves accountable to these values. One of my main goals during my time here is for these values to be more fully integrated into all aspects of my life.
Under the value of hospitality is something we call “the duty of the moment.” This is the most challenging, but can also be one of the most rewarding, aspects of our work. What it means is that you may have tasks to complete, but the moment and the person in front of you have far more value than your own agenda. Here in the house, embracing the duty of the moment looks like phone calls in the middle of the night, being present to another during the time you had scheduled for a nap, or anything that involves dying to self. We are constantly being asked to give more generously, live more intentionally, and love more fully.
Embracing the duty of the moment grants us the ability to love. Each person we encounter is a gift and the moments we are able to spend with them are an honor. Especially as a MissionCorps member, I am constantly being reminded of the privilege it is to share life with my community members. Last Friday night all the moms were home and we spent the evening watching a movie, painting each other’s nails, and laughing at pictures of babies (and all taking our turn being spit up on by a real baby). There was such peace and joy in our home. As I looked around at the beautiful and strong women surrounding me, I was struck by how blessed I am to be here. Each of our paths to Maggie’s Place is so different, but something brought us together to share life for a time, for a season. For that evening we shared in joy together. Sometimes we share in sorrow, sometimes frustrations. Sometimes sharing life looks very messy. Yet whatever it looks like, I am grateful.
By Elisa Raubach, MissionCorps Member at the Elizabeth House
