In our line of work, we often meet families navigating unique and sometimes challenging circumstances. Over time, we’ve learned that the best way to support them is not to impose our own expectations but to meet them where they are—with empathy, patience, and understanding.
Years ago, we worked with a woman in the White Center area of Seattle. She had inherited her family home but needed to sell it and downsize. However, the situation was complicated—her adult son, struggling with addiction, was living upstairs and was angry that the house wasn’t being given to him. This tension made our client feel unsafe in her own home, so she made the difficult decision to move into an assisted living facility.
Our role was to help her transition smoothly, ensuring the house was emptied and ready for the realtor to put it on the market.
One of my team members took the lead on the project and made it a point to check in with the client every morning. On her way to the house, she’d call to ask if there was anything the client needed. One morning, as she stopped for coffee, she extended the same courtesy to our client—did she want anything? The response was unexpected: a McDonald's breakfast sandwich and two beers.
My team member hesitated, unsure of the right thing to do, and called me for guidance. We talked it through. In the middle of this stressful transition, our client wasn’t eating regular meals—this breakfast sandwich might be her only meal of the day. And the beers? If that was what helped her manage the anxiety of such a significant life change, who were we to judge? After all, I need my morning coffee to get through the day, too.
At the heart of what we do is compassion. Every family, every individual, has their own way of coping, and our job is to support them—not to impose our own views but to provide help in a way that truly serves them.