Saturday, February 24, 2024
I had the privilege of working with Dovia at a facility she attended several times. Working as part of the Juvenile Justice system can be tough in more ways than one, but this is by far one of my biggest realities I’ve faced on the job. I had a way of understanding Dovia that I unfortunately can’t get with every child I work with, despite my efforts. We would talk about real life experiences and how to cope with what’s going on in our hearts and our heads. I hope those talks helped her as much as they helped me most days. I have a picture she drew hanging in my locker with all the words that she would say describes me, and I still laugh when reading “gangster” as one of the last words she wrote for a laugh. She was always one to make everyone laugh. We would sing Rod Wave everyday together and talk about how some of his lyrics touched deep on our souls. She was small but fierce and had so much to offer this world. I hope she always knew that I wasn’t just there for her because it was my job. She will never be forgotten. Rest Easy, Pernell.
