I hope they know.

2 weeks? No no no no no no no. I refuse to believe it. I demand that my summer love sticks around beyond the next two weeks.

That's right. I said it. "Summer love." And, yes, I am talking about my internship. How many people can say they actually truly love their summer internship? I don't mean love like, "Yeah, this is cool. I could probably do something like this forever." I mean love like open-ear surgery on a six-year-old, "No you can't have a band-aid, you aren't bleeding," an exercise science major teaching English, "Ugh, these kids are so impossible," and "I'll miss you, too"s on Fridays.

Some may say this is a poor excuse for an exercise science internship. Those people can kindly shut their mouths. The application may not be my favorite part, but I have done more teaching of the junk I learn in my expensive classes than anyone else. I may not be doing cardio rehab or PT, personal training or athletic training, but I'm gaining more than anyone could ever dream.

The challenges others face at their internships--complaining patients, not being paid enough, cleaning too much, whatever--are nothing like mine. They cannot know what challenges me unless they are there to see it with me. I see innocent children who I know are not being fed but once a day, and I want to share my food with them. I hear the screams of eight children in a 3-bedroom apartment three doors down, and I want to share my space with them. I hear of abusive fathers, and I want to share my love with them.

In two weeks (less than, now) my internship hours with Mason Apartments will be gone and over-with, but the love of those kids, the determination in their parents' eyes, the hope in my heart, will last forever. My supervisor told me today that I can miss a couple days in the last two weeks so I don't do too many hours. I refused and told her I would be there every minute I could. I cannot stand the thought of missing those kids for more than a weekend. I don't want to walk out of that building on Friday, July 29, at 8pm because I know I won't be back there Monday.

It will be hard. Mason has done a lot for me. My direction in life has changed. I now mention social work as one of my career choices someday. My heart has opened to refugees. I want to go to Africa and be there for these amazing, strong people so their families can stay together instead of being half a world apart. I'm determined to go back weekly to be a part of the residents' lives still. I hope they know what they've done for me.

I've been a stand-in, another staff member, for them, but they've been my life for the last two months. I hope they know I love them. I hope they know they've changed my life.

"We lose ourselves in the things we love. We find ourselves there, too."

Sincerely,
Steph