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I have three older brothers and Ben is the youngest of them and has been homeless off and on for the last 15 years or so. He is now 35 and has two sons who have experienced homelessness with him. They have lived in tents, motels, trailers, and with friends, in California, Oregon, and Washington, not always together. It has been several years since I last saw him, although my mom has seen him because he surprised her with a visit on Mother's day this year. Every time I help someone who lives on the streets of Portland, I am also helping my brother. I listen and let people know that they matter, at least to me. I hope Ben knows I think about him all the time and that I have never judged him. When he was a young teenager he started tagging "Ben Lives" on everything...notebooks, walls, and even on birthday cards. I can only imagine he was feeling very lost even then. I am starting a "Ben Lives" project to help out those in his shoes, if not him personally. I feel like our family has a hard time understanding why Ben lives the way he does and that they are quick to judge. Perhaps they feel that  have let him down. I feel like I have let him down too, but the only thing to do now is to stop letting him down. I love you Ben.

posted 3 years, 5 months ago
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