Our Daily Rhythms
Easter 2024
by Fumi
Tadaima~
Okaeri~
“I’m home!” “Welcome home!” These are familiar phrases for anyone living in Japan – two among dozens of greetings that punctuate the day and ritualize our connection to each other and the world around us. Others include: Itadakimasu (thank you for this meal – spoken before eating); Ogochiso-sama (thank you for this meal – spoken after eating); Ittekimasu (I’m leaving).
As it turns out, these are also familiar greetings at Dandelion House, where Keru, our newest guest, is studying Japanese at Portland State University. He is in his last year of studies at PSU, where, in addition to Japanese, he is studying creative writing and applied linguistics. He hopes to earn a certificate in teaching English as a second language, and one day teach in Japan.
Board member Sharon Oba tutoring Keru in Japanese.
Keru maintained a 4.0 GPA while working the graveyard shift at FedEx, until an injury prevented him from working and he lost his job. Soon, he got behind on his rent and found himself living out of his car. He continued going to classes, but his life circumstances made it difficult to focus on his studies, and he sought help when his grades started plummeting. We are so grateful he connected with Dandelion House.
Life at Dandelion House is simple, and we don’t have a magic formula for our work of hospitality. As Catholic Workers, we provide a safe home and a little structure, and our guests do the rest - go to class, get a driver’s license, sign up for health insurance, find a job, save money.
Our other guest, Aydan, is 18-years-old, and studying for his GED at New Urban High School, our district’s alternative high school located just blocks from Dandelion House. When not studying for his GED, he can be found working as a line cook at Red Robin. He recently opened his first checking and savings accounts, and is busy putting away as much money as he can.
Life at Dandelion House is simple, and we don’t have a magic formula for our work of hospitality. As Catholic Workers, we provide a safe home and a little structure, and our guests do the rest – go to class, get a driver’s license, sign up for health insurance, find a job, save money. Several times a week, Keru, Aydan, Julian, Lisa, and I gather around our dining room table, with our cat Mika looking on from the sofa. We share a meal, stories from the day, and cleanup duties. Keru and Aydan share weekly chores – one cleans the bathroom, the other the common space floors, then switch the next week.
Tadaima. Okaeri. Itadakimasu. Like the greetings heard around the house that meter our days, the ordinary rhythms of daily life – work, school, chores, meals – provide the cadence of our life in community. Yet it is precisely this ordinariness, I believe, that begins to heal what needs healing in each of us, Catholic Workers and guests alike. Thank you for your support, and for being a part of our thriving.