I am thankful to Semiahmoo House Society for “Nothing”!

Nothing, because as a new immigrant a few years back, I have expected nothing but hardships and challenges in my journey to a place I know nothing about too. True enough, upon my arrival and my first few months in, my expectations became closer to reality. Was it hard? To put it to words, I have trekked nothing as wearisome like this before. Thank God I have my wife with me.

But as if fate has challenged my “theory of everything”, a weird moment has led me to attend this “something” happening along 24th avenue one cold fall evening. It was a career session about being a community support worker, a career I know nothing about.

Nothing prepared me for the surprise of a lifetime. I did not know that this job is my “thing”. It has paved way for me to connect “job” and “passion” and how the two can co-exist. Job satisfaction was such an overrated statement for me before but “something” about Semi broke that view of mine.

Not only did Semiahmoo House shatter my disbelief in “job-satisfaction” – it has also led me to search for a word that would describe what Semi has given me, because “job satisfaction” just won’t do it – it is too much of an understatement and other pleasantries won’t give justice too. So what did I find as a word to describe how Semi rocks my world? Yep, that’s right, nothing.

Beyond the indescribable “fulfillment” I get every time I use my FOB to enter the Treehouse, is the “breaking ground” of my dreams of rooting my family in a community that gives us the best chance to flourish – cue the Chorus apartments, our new home.

With Semiahmoo House pioneering this project, I once again cross paths with my good old friend – “nothing”. For nothing like this has successfully bridged the gap between the people we support and the community the way Chorus does. Nothing like this has brought inclusion closer not only to people with developmental disabilities, but also, the other members of the community. With the existence of Chorus and the “give and receive” culture woven to its DNA, a beautiful way of living has come to life.

Given that there is nothing like Chorus, we hope and pray that the “nothingness” that Chorus has spawned will evolve into “something”, something that people, organizations and nations will look up to and follow. We are looking forward to the possibility of other groups that will create “something” like Chorus and eventually giving inclusion a real shot at being something that is as uncommon as the sun rising in the East.      

I am proud to say that in SHS, I found out that “nothing” is not too bad of a thing to begin with. For it is in nothingness that we get inspired to create something.

Again, I thank Semiahmoo House Society for nothing. 

Jasper Macabulos, Semiahmoo House Society

Semiahmoo House Society, a non-profit organization located in Surrey/White Rock, exists to provide quality services and supports to people with disabilities and their families in the community. The Semiahmoo Foundation, located in Surrey/White Rock, exists to fund, support and enhance the programs and services delivered by Semiahmoo House Society.