In our line of work, we deal with a lot of sadness and it is easy to overlook the good we bring into the world.
One of the first things I was told when starting this job was that if I ever needed to step out for a minute after a phone call, I was absolutely encouraged to do it. In the moment, I did not understand, but it soon became clear — having to break the news of someone’s passing can be heartbreaking.
And even beyond that, the facts of a case are often sad: we deal with people who had lost contact with their families, who were vulnerable; with families that have scattered all over the world. Often enough, when we reach them and make contact, it is already too late (at least to reunite them with the deceased).
With all this considered, it’s important to always take note of the good that we do and to cherish those experiences, and although I am still new, I feel like I already have a few stories of bringing happiness to my beneficiaries.
In one of my cases, I was able to reunite two cousins who had not seen each other for decades. They used to be really close as children and had then lost contact through the years, but they still thought of each other with affection — as they both mentioned each other with nostalgia, I was able to let them know I had traced the other one and ask if they’d like to meet. They were as happy as if they were children again.
In another case, I managed to put a young woman in contact with relatives she never knew about, as her nuclear family had not kept contact with her extended one. Hearing how pleased she was with her newfound family was worth more than any inheritance.
Reuniting families is definitely one of the most important and beautiful parts of the job we do here at Treethorpe.
Nicoletta Santonocito
Cases Manager
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