Bubbles over barriers

I like to listen to audio books during my daily commute.  It makes me forget the stresses of my job and pulls me into a story that’s more interesting than my own.  Audio books are one of several ways I escape the everyday pressures of life.  I also love sitting on my porch swing or taking a long walk.  It’s easy to live life in a bubble when the most challenging part of your day is getting caught in rush hour traffic.

Emily Claudé, CCFI Board President

But I’ve recently come to realize that my reality would be a welcome escape for many parents and children in our community.  There are countless families right here in Norman who are experiencing daily stressors that are difficult for me to even comprehend.  Forget audio books and porch swings, there are parents in this community who don’t have the support necessary to be able to provide a safe, nurturing, loving environment for their children.

A few years ago, my metaphorical bubble was burst when a little boy came into my office on an ordinary summer day.  A man carried him in and told us he found him wandering on the road.  He called him “Fred.”  The boy couldn’t have been more than four years old, and my coworkers and I took turns playing with him.  Although he seemed happy, there was something heartbreaking about this little boy. He could only communicate in babbles and gestures.  He was soaked in sweat, had a heavy diaper, and had clearly been outside for a long time.  When the police arrived, they told us he hadn’t been reported missing.  I couldn’t believe it: The parents of this sweet, vulnerable child hadn’t even noticed he was gone. 

There are hundreds of children like Fred right here in Norman, but most of them never wander outside the walls of their own home and into the arms of a caring adult.  The little boy who walked innocently into my office that day couldn’t speak for himself.  And even if he could, would he know what to say?  We all have different gifts we can contribute to the cause.  You may have contacts in the community with the ability to make change, you may have time to volunteer, or you may have resources you can donate.  But we can all speak up for Fred.

Four years ago, the Center for Children and Families, Inc. (CCFI) gave me a chance to invest in its mission and to be a part of something important happening in this community - something life-altering.  There are struggles, yes.  But there are successes too.  And there is no bigger success story than CCFI.  The Center for Children and Families isn’t afraid of taking chances, making changes, and investing in the future of this community and all of the little Freds in it.

So I will continue to drive to work every day in my bubble, listening to the imaginary world of my most recent audio-read.  But every day I will emerge with hope and growing compassion for those whose escape from reality is through the doors of CCFI.  I’m grateful for the opportunity the Centerfor Children and Families has given me to invest my time and resources in such a worthy cause. 

I am privileged to be a part of an organization that encourages blowing bubbles, not building barriers.

- Emily Claudé, CCFI Board of Directors President