Imagine it’s your birthday. Most people I know welcome the idea of a celebration; it’s nice to be acknowledged and to recognize the day of your birth. I met a teenager today who wanted to tell me that tomorrow was his birthday. Knowing his situation, it is unlikely that anyone had previously ever paid any attention to the fact that he had a birthday. He was turning 16. He lives at the Devereux facility in League City, TX.

Devereux Network – “a meaningful life for all people”
Devereux is a non-profit organization providing services around the nation for persons with emotional, developmental and educational disabilities. They take in and help rehabilitate children, adolescents and even adults, often when there is nowhere else for them to turn. Recently, I visited one of the many Devereux facilities in America, located just outside of the metropolitan Houston area in northern Galveston County’s League City. Its peaceful 49-acre campus provides a nurturing and tranquil environment for its clients through residential, hospitalization or outpatient care.

Love what you do
I gave a talk to the staff at this Devereux facility. Near the end of my presentation, I spoke about how important it is for our good health and well being to “love what we do.” I asked, “Who in this room loves their work?” The reply was unanimous: EVERY person in the room raised their hand. This response was overwhelming to me. I speak regularly to audiences, and never have I found a group of people who unanimously love their work. Remarkable. After my talk, my son Sam and I were taken on a tour of the campus. It truly was a moving experience. The buildings and classrooms appeared well-kept and well-maintained, but what struck me almost physically was the compassion and dedication of the teachers, counselors, physicians, and administrators. Everyone I met had a very natural, effortless way of communicating their love of this place and their pride in the progress they made with these children. Literally, they were changing people’s lives by helping individuals who, in all honesty, were probably headed for disaster—a tragedy for themselves and our society.

Everyday challenges, everyday choices
We spoke to several adolescents that day. One boy, who recently graduated from high school at Devereux, told us in a lovely gentle manner that he was feeling a bit scared, as it was nearing the time when he would be leaving. My heart went out to him. I told him that every day, each and every one of us has fears and unique challenges. And every day we have the choice to use these challenges as an opportunity to grow and learn. His honest, true expression of communicating his feelings is still with me today.

In giving, we truly receive
Along with the numerous ways they rehabilitate their clients, the staff at Devereux has a specific tradition for celebrating birthdays: they have a special volunteer committee of ladies who organize a cake and party to honor each client’s birthday. We discussed how some of the adolescents couldn’t understand why these ladies would organize these parties for them without being paid to do so. The reply was, by the time the clients leave us here at Devereux, they begin to understand that the reason is found in the ethos that echoes throughout this remarkable place: “in giving we truly receive.”