I love puzzles. I have always loved puzzles. I have come by it honestly. My mom is a bit neurotic about puzzles and therefore, so am I. There is only one way to do them. Empty the box and go through piece by piece, turning each one over and sorting out the edges. By framing the edges this is now your grounding point to start the puzzle; with your bearings you can begin to sort and divide by colour/ pattern/ etc. Puzzleland is simple, clean and follows the rules. With every puzzle, you are given all the answers. You have the exact number of pieces needed and you have the whole picture in front of you to guide you through the process. Puzzles alternate between trial and error and decisions of precise calculation. The more pieces placed in the puzzle, the easier it becomes. Every thing has it’s place and my neurosis is in check. 

 My love of puzzles weaved its way into my everyday world. To me, people are puzzles. Large, complex puzzles. Except, the picture changes and evolves and you do not always have an edge piece as a starting point. These puzzles, people puzzles, are much different. They are messy puzzles. Complex puzzles. Unique Puzzles. Beautiful puzzles. These puzzles are why I am a Social Worker. 

 Every person I encounter has their story, their puzzle to be solved. They may be in crisis, they may feel stuck from past issues or they may be paralyzed in fear of their unknown future. But, they are a puzzle and they have asked me to help them put the pieces back together. This is a delicate balance as often, I can see the overall picture much quicker than they can (objectivity is an asset). But until they realize that they hold all of the pieces, I have not done my job. So together we work, solving the puzzle. Placing the pieces. Finding the edges. Uncovering the picture. It takes time. It takes perseverance. It is why I love to do what I do. 

 So often I hear “ I could never do what you do”; but I think that is very true for any profession. Never in my life could I imagine being an engineer or a mechanic, a chartered accountant or a nurse. I simply couldn’t do the job. I think too often people hear Social Worker and they immediately think of burnout or the extremely difficult job of apprehending children. Of course both occur, but there is the entire other side to the profession. This is the side that lights my fire and feeds my passion. I’ve experienced some of the most life changing moments working in this field. I have been a part of both life and death. I have experienced the highest of highs and the lowest lows. But I have endured; I have learned, I have matured and I have grown. I am grateful. 

 The most difficult part of this job (and I think for most jobs) is the battle we have with our own inadequacies; I could have done more, I should have done more, and I didn’t do enough. Inadequacy becomes the darkness that we create in our own minds but attacks us in the physical realm. It makes us question every move and every decision; sometimes feeling like a constant game of chess with ourselves. Some days you lose, checkmate. Some days, most days, you’re on top of your game. Regardless, inadequacy is dangerous and it is dark. It shines light on our weaknesses and dulls our strengths. I am telling you now to stop it. Seriously, stop it. Of course, we need to understand our weaknesses but more importantly, we need to know our strengths; build on them, nurture them. We need to focus on what we do well, not what we should have done differently. 

 As a Social Worker, my job often happens in real time with real people. Meaning, there is no practice run, drafts or rehearsal. What we say and do in that moment directly impacts the person in front of us. As terrifying as that was for me initially, I have learned to ‘lean into the discomfort’. The people I work with want what every human wants, authenticity and to feel connected. That’s it. That’s the secret. I think this is a lesson that we all need to apply to life; there seems to be less and less human contact in the world, therefore we need to make the most of what we do have. Give people your time, it truly is one of the most valuable things you have to offer. If you say the wrong thing? Apologize. Just be authentic. And if you do nothing else, just be kind. Set your intention and follow through.

 I’m writing this post as it is currently Social Work Week in Saskatchewan. I am extremely proud to be a social worker and I am very grateful that I chose this profession. In my very short career I have had the opportunity to work alongside some of the most inspiring individuals; many of these people have become my heroes, my mentors and my friends. They have influenced and changed my life in ways I never thought possible. And because of them, not only am I better Social Worker, I know that I am a better person. So for all the Social Workers of my world, thank you for everything that you do. For the individuals that I have been so fortunate to work with, thank you for letting me into your world and teaching me the true meaning of vulnerability. And for every other professional that I have had the opportunity to collaborate with, thank you for staying true to my creed that we are always stronger as a team.

Happy Social Work Week and please, everyone, take care of yourself.

 Lise 

 xo.