Family Time on Turkey Traverse: Life inside a Host Family

When I was younger, my family and I used to go skiing once a year in Big Sky, Montana. It was a long drive (yes, we drove it), but it was all worth it. We got to spend our days as ski bunnies and our evenings by the fire with piles of blankets and plenty of hot tea and hot chocolate. The highlight of the skiing though, in my book at least, was always a run called Turkey Traverse.

Turkeys have the reputation for being skiddish, unpredictable, and unreliable, and their fickle character fits Turkey Traverse to a tee. As its name implies, Turkey Traverse is actually only a trail that cuts across the upper part of a slope. It is a very narrow path that, depending on the conditions, can twist, turn, go up, and go down suddenly. To make matters more exciting, there is really no way to slow down, except either a) trying to get off of it as smoothly as possible or b) cutting your losses and wiping out. To be successful as a Turkey Traverser, you have to adopt the character opposite of a turkey: you need to commit fully, taking every turn as it comes with stability and confidence.

Turkey Traverse is a lot like life- there are all sorts of twists and turns, ups and downs, that can take us for quite a ride. Family, however, can help us by providing the stability we need to successfully navigate the traverse. It is this stability and confidence that I witnessed when I visited one of EP!C’s host families for the first time.

An EP!C host family celebrating the holidays in style

I met Pat and Ron, two individuals that EP!C supports, and their host family member, Kelly. Kelly has provided an environment in which both Ron and Pat feel comfortable to be themselves regardless of what comes their way, including a visit from the likes of me. When I arrived, Ron got a quick shower before they both sat down for a snack. They moved comfortably around the house, watching TV, admiring the view from the window, and visiting with Kelly and me at the dining room table. Like in the case with Ron and Pat, many individuals with disabilities are moved from one place to another or live in an environment where they cannot feel entirely comfortable. Living with a host family, however, gives them the security and support they needed to live their lives to the fullest. They can relax at home, but they also enjoy going to Kelly's niece's basketball and volleyball games, going grocery shopping, and visiting Kelly's parents. Living with a host family also hasn't meant that they sever ties with their family members. Ron, for instance, regularly visits his aunt, who is also in close contact with Kelly. 

Ron as he takes a break from his magazine to help make
pumpkin pie cups in preparation for Thanksgiving

Ron and Pat are not the only ones who have benefited from their new living arrangements.When I asked Kelly how it had been for her when she welcomed Ron and Pat into her home, she enthusiastically responded that it had been fantastic. They had moved in about eight months ago, she explained, and she was so happy to have them there. They brightened her day, and they all fit really well together. She also appreciates their eagerness to help out. Pat, for example, excitedly waits for the end of dinner each night so he can take out the trash. Kelly joked that her mom was going to buy him a big box of trash bags for Christmas so he could take out the trash whenever he was so inclined!

Of course, not everything goes as planned, and life's pesky little stressors still like to liven things up every now and then; however, the family Kelly, Ron, and Pat have created together provides the support they need to see them through. When faced with a health issue that sent Ron to the hospital, for instance, Kelly and Pat were there for him (and came home with plenty of stories of Ron’s exasperation with the hospital food and wait times).  Even during the holidays when there is no shortage of events, trips, get-togethers, and outings, Kelly creates a home base, a safe haven, that they can always come back to. Kelly, like all EP!C host families, creates a home environment of stability and care and is herself enriched by her adopted family members in the process.

An EP!C host family at an EP!C event

The holiday season, a time when family is paramount and there are always unexpected twists and turns, highlights the loving and supportive environment that EP!C’s host families offer. These host families provide the stability and support to successfully navigate Turkey Traverse: regardless of what comes their way, they are able to confront it and overcome it as a family. So this Thanksgiving, I want to give thanks to our host families and individuals for showing how much family members can do for one another and how a family environment helps all to thrive.