Happy home life helps keep me grounded

by Jeanny Chop

A big part of my life for the past year is living in a boarding house with 19 other residents. I see them everyday and they give me a strong sense of companionship. If any of them died or became sick, it would really affect me. The people around me help me to stay well. I have lots of people to talk with and I never feel alone.

My friends outside the boarding home are important to me as well. I haven't seen a lot of them since I moved to the boarding house, but I talk to them over the phone and I feel good knowing they are still around. I need to know that they are OK because they are so important in my life. I look up to them and they make me feel well.

I met a nice guy at this boarding house. He's practically the center of my attention. He fills the hole in my life with joy, security and a sense of well being. Without him, I feel lost and at grief. I hope he will always be there for me. He's important like my family. We go for coffee, and people watching.

With $85 comfort allowance a month that we get from the government, our lives here are limited. We go shopping, usually just window shopping, buying only what we need when it's on sale.

I enjoy listening to music in my room or in the smoking lounge in the boarding house. I also talk to the people who are living here. I recently started an art therapy program and it's fun. It lets me express my inner thoughts and feelings. About once a month, the house has cooking group where we cook for the rest of the house. We have coffee outings, movie outings, a walk or drive every month. We have craft day once a week. We also have our own cook who cooks for us.

Living in a boarding house with the people who work here and the people who live here gives me the support and the help I need to be stable. The friends I meet here and my friends outside the house keep me from being alone. We eat healthily here and we have activities throughout the month to keep us busy.