The Likability Factor

Amidst all the turmoil of should he stay or should he go — a question that’s dominated the first two weeks of Willy’s experience — there are some bright, undeniable beams of light.

One of them stands out.

It was made clear to us this week: Willy is well liked. By peers. By staff. He’s being received warmly by the people around him — and that’s no small thing.

In fact, it’s huge.

For someone who’s spent much of his life feeling isolated, this matters. A lot. He craves connection. And while he’s still focused on going home, I believe that once we move past the how soon can I leave mindset, these relationships will start to take root.

That kind of connection is rare. And it’s powerful.

So here we are: hopeful, hearing good things, fingers crossed, one day at a time. All the clichés apply. But so does the truth behind them:

Most things worth doing are hard.