The Child Nobody Wanted Became the Man Who Refused to Let Anyone Die Feeling Unloved
Part 5 of 5 — I Found My Purpose, and Now My Story Lives On
By Jeffrey Badders
Looking back over my journey, I realize how much my life has changed since I was that child searching for love, acceptance, and somewhere to belong.
When I started working in hospice in 1990, I traveled throughout Kansas. I worked for a hospice company during the week and medical staffing on the weekends. I was always working two jobs.
But it wasn't just about working or making money.
I was discovering something I had searched for most of my life.
A sense of belonging.
Growing up, I didn't have the kind of family I longed for. But when I began taking care of people, something changed.
I met new people, made new friends, and found people who treated me like family, even though we weren't related by blood.
They gave me the respect and love I had been craving as a child.
That experience changed the way I looked at my life.
I began to realize that everything I had been through didn't have to define the person I would become.
I had to keep moving forward.
Through the years, I traveled, worked, and experienced things I never imagined I would see.
There were difficult days and beautiful days.
I remember standing in the Tetons, looking across the water at the reflection of the mountains. It looked like a priceless painting.
I sat there for hours, taking in the beauty.
It was so peaceful that I felt as though I were sitting inside a movie.
And I remember what that experience taught me.
Life is not fair, but you can make it beautiful, because you are the author of your story.
That message stayed with me.
There were also times when I had to remind myself to be my own hero.
Nobody was going to live my life for me.
I had to take responsibility for my choices, hold myself accountable, and keep moving forward.
And through it all, I believed God had a plan for me.
I realized that instead of being stressed in life, God had blessed me in life.
I continued traveling for work, from Kansas to other states, experiencing different communities and meeting people along the way.
In Colorado, I worked in Estes Park. During the week, I worked in hospice, and on weekends, I sometimes took additional shifts.
I was a workaholic.
If I wasn't moving, working, or learning something, I wasn't happy.
But I also knew something important.
Your health is your résumé.
It doesn't matter how much money you have or how much experience you've gained if you don't have your health.
I tried to take care of myself, stay active, and keep learning.
Eventually, I took another vacation and visited Colorado Springs. I toured the Air Force Academy, and I also experienced something I had never seen before.
My first eclipse.
I remember looking through special glasses to see it.
That was an exciting moment I never forgot.
When I think about those experiences, I think about how far I had traveled—not just across states, but through my own life.
And through those years, I came to understand what being a hospice aide truly meant to me.
I've been doing this work for 36 years.
And I'm not afraid to say I'm a hospice aide.
For the record, it's not about cleaning someone up.
It's about giving dignity, respect, privacy, and love.
It's about being kind to a person who is in a dying state of mind.
And I want to emphasize one word again.
Dignity.
Because every person deserves dignity.
When I look at my life, I see a child who wanted to be loved and accepted.
I see the difficult experiences I survived.
I see the people I met, the places I traveled, and the lessons I carried with me.
And I see how my faith helped me continue when life wasn't easy.
I believe God breaks you down to build you up into the person He wants you to be.
That belief helped me understand my journey.
I couldn't change my childhood.
I couldn't change the people who didn't give me the answers or the love I wanted.
But I could decide what kind of person I wanted to become.
I could give people respect.
I could show kindness.
I could treat people with dignity.
And I could continue living the purpose I believed God had planned for me.
I started this journey as a child searching for love.
And somewhere along the way, I found purpose in giving love and compassion to others.
The child nobody wanted became the man who refused to let anyone die feeling unloved.
My journey hasn't always been easy, and my life hasn't always been fair.
But I learned that life can still be beautiful.
Because you are the author of your story.
And with God in my life, I intend to keep writing mine.
THE END
By Jeffrey Badders
Inspiring Hearts 4 Ever