Today was a truly inspiring day at Craig

Today was a truly inspiring day at Craig’s Table; a new participant arrived to start the program, and another participant welcomed him in. These 2 people had never seen each other until today, they had no reason to even be in the same shopping complex so they would not have ever met before today. After a few short introductions and working out who each other was, they both just got on with the tasks that were in front of them. Total strangers established a working friendship and within 15 minutes were laughing together over silly jokes and sharing a coffee break.

The task they had to work through was not large, the task was to tidy the garden area and plant some vegetable seeds and plan where the spring bulbs will go. Both have physical injuries that impede them, both achieved everything that was asked of them. Both supported each other and both made sure that the other person was alright. 

When the new participant left at the end of the 2 hours the other participant kept on with the chores; all that was said was “he will get better when he has been here a while”.

It is the total acceptance from each participant that forms the base of Craig’s Table, the way each new participant is welcomed in and “met where they are” by all the other participants, they are never asked to explain what their issues are, what stage of their workers compensation claim they are at or what happened to them. Yes; they talk about all of it when they are ready to, but no one ever asks because they all know what it feels like to be socially excluded and rejected all because they sustained a workplace injury.

Over many years I have attended workshops and seminars and conferences that have speakers explaining the need to talking about the need to reduce remove isolation from the injured workers lives and the urgent need for early intervention ~ no one has ever (to the best of my knowing) explained what early intervention actually is how to do it or when “early” actually is or how connection to the community reduces the impact of stress and depression.

To see what others talk about, to feel the impact of what is talked about, to understand what others talk about all you need do is come to Craig’s Table. 

You will also find injured workers who attend pre-surgery and then have the program put on hold when they have surgery then coming back post-surgery.

You will also find injured workers asking their medical providers to write onto the medical certificate “attend Craig’s Table”
You will get hugs, you will get smiles, you will get lots and lots and lots of laughter, and you are likely to be like everyone else, you will want to stay for as long as possible as you discover the village that Craig’s table is becoming. 

And you will want to stay or become a regular visitor not just because of the hospitality but because you will want to be a part of the encouragement and the real visible growth that happens every day. 

And like others you will start to think of ways it is possible to add new aspects to Craig’s Table. 

Currently we have a supporter who is co-ordinating collections of DVD’s for the Craig’s Table DVD library; it may not be much on the surface, however with each delivery of support another layer of rejection is removed and trust starts to come back. 

All of it starts each time a new participant arrives, someone steps up to meet and greet and to show the new participants where everything is and make a cup of tea or coffee, show them where the smokers area is if needed and walk them around to show them what is coming.

Here is where I admit I never get enough of watching it unfold, I never get tired of watching each participant reach their own aha moment where they come to understand that there is still so much that they can do and much much more that they want to do and many things that they never considered as possible for themselves or their families. Many times, we know where each participant is heading before they do and we have to put our own excitement on hold as the participants discover that their future is back in their own hands. 

It is an honour to be in a place of trust for the participants, to sit with them and hear their journey and see life simply coming back. It is exciting to hear about a reduction of medications and how participants are sleeping better and engaging back with their own families and own communities.

The participant who started this morning has absolutely no idea how much wondrous change is going to come into his life, nor does he know that in just a few weeks he will be a greeter for new participants and walking them around showing them how everything works.

Over the coming weeks new community concepts will come it to Craig’s Table and the participants will come to understand the importance of each of the training components and they will understand the support each of them gains and gives – there will be real friendships formed and real outcomes to aim for.  

Over the coming weeks different speakers will come in and open new concepts up for the participants get a taste of, there will be encouragement for the participants from Olympians as well as other community leaders.

Everything is totally aimed at shifting the focus of each participant from can’t to can from fear to fearless.
If you are passing and the gate is open, come in, you will be welcome, someone will put the kettle on and someone will show you around -who knows you may even get to leave with some fresh veggies from the garden. 

Yours in service
Rosemary

www.craigstable.net.au
rosemary@craigstable.net.au
SKYPE Rosemary2412
17^th April 2018