We’re all in search of a deeper meaning. A way to break the monotony, something profound enough to lead us to understand what we don’t know. Most of us have fallen victim to habit, so we tend to appreciate when someone breaks it. In this week’s spotlight, we introduce Sarah B., someone who has broken that monotony. Her’s being a vicious cycle of drugs, crime, and spiritual obstructiveness. She is someone who has found deeper meaning, after what felt like a lifetime without it.
Sarah was born in Tarzana California to a seemingly perfect family. Her younger brother, mother, and father all loved her. To this day, they have stayed close…even if she scared the shit out of them during her time using. She has always had this big loving and nurturing family, and yet something was missing. Something that Harriett would call, “A hole in the soul.”
From a very young age, Sarah said she wanted to feel safe Unfortunately, acquisition of that wasn’t nearly as straightforward as it should have been. So, in turn, she created a defensive stance that helped draw her nearer to what safety looked like…or so she thought. By thirteen, she was already running with the baddest of criminals and using hard drugs to alleviate that lack of security. From manufacturing to consumption—you name it, she did it. This went on for a number of years before that stance became more than just that. It became who she was. For a long time, she was fine with that. As time did the wash and she got older, she knew she needed to make some drastic changes if she was going to free herself from this perpetual spin cycle.
Recently, she was released from prison and made the choice to come to Beit T’Shuvah. She wanted to stop living in fear and live in love. She wanted meaning. A compounding issue that wasn’t going to fix itself. So, she decided during her incarceration she wasn’t going to allow history to repeat itself and got sober. So, she set out to rehabilitate herself and find something in herself that she could be proud of. She wanted to show the world and herself who she truly was. A choice not everyone makes for themselves, but she did and it speaks volumes about her character.
Upon entering Beit T’Shuvah, Sarah immediately realized this place wasn’t like anywhere else she’d been. Her desires matched up with how she’d always wanted to be received. She felt complete love and acceptance. Never before, was she seen as deeply and as truly as when she walked through the threshold of our doors—the liberation she’s always deserved.
Now, Sarah is working a solid program, she’s of service and adding to the flow of life in every way. It’s one of those things you cannot fake. When you see it, you know it. She’s in the kitchen full time working for Baked T’Shuvah baking challah and throwing love and kindness into every braid—every action—every moment. In and out of the kitchen. “I feel honored to be able to make something as holy as challah. I feel blessed that they even trust me enough to able to make something like that for the community.” She’s an integral part of our community and knows she’s loved and recognized for who she truly is—a spectacularly sincere, hard working, and beautiful individual who, everyday, puts another piece together in the puzzle of her deeper meaning.