What Do Staff Learn?
Working for Kirstin has been such an adventure! I started working for Kristin when I was 20. I remember being incredibly intrigued by the thought of having a meaningful job at such a young age. I was glad to learn from the beginning, and Kristin made it clear that we are there to empower and support her lifestyle, not teach her things.
One of my most fascinating take-aways from the job is how importance resilience is. No matter what happens to Kristin in her life, she keeps on striving for more and better. She never takes no for an answer. I also learned the extreme power of listening. Listening is humbling and powerful. When talking to Kristin, it is tempting to assume the end of her sentence because your brain jumps to conclusions faster than her communication device types.
However, this is dangerous. There have been countless times where I thought I knew what she wanted, only to be wrong! The most powerful thing is that Kristin knows when you know what she means, and she will decide when she doesn't have to finish a sentence and can just nod her head or make another gesture to communicate instead. She literally knows what you're thinking sometimes! Learning to be patient and not interrupting has made me a better listener which improves my personal relationships as well.
Working with Kristin has also taught me to live more in the moment. Everything I do for and with Kristin is a very intentional act or process. Slowing down and taking real time to complete tasks gives me a sense of awareness and wonder, it creates a special moment out of the most mundane seeming things. Lastly, learning to always keep an open mind and never be judgmental is invaluable. Working with Kristin reminds you that everyone has their own story, journey and path in life, to always be kind, and that it is never productive to judge people.
- Isabelle