‘You talk. I’ll listen’: Retired social worker travels across Canada offering free sessions to help strangers feel less alone

Adam meets an Abbotsford senior who’s turning unimaginable loss into powerful acts of kindness.

ABBOTSFORD, B.C. — This is not how Paul Jenkison anticipated he’d be spending his retirement.

“I’m doing my best,” Paul says. “But I’m picking up the pieces.”

The Abbotsford senior put himself back together after his 45-year marriage ended, and his daughter died.

“Rather than lean into darkness and death,” Paul says. “I’ve chosen to lean into love and lean into life.”

After living for 71 years and working as a social worker for more than 40, Paul has learned that how we respond to adversity is a choice. One of the choices he made was inspired by his granddaughter who lost her mom.

“My granddaughter said, ‘Opah, you really need to let people know they are not alone,’” Paul recalls.

So, Paul chose to volunteer his time to be of service to others.

“I can take these skills and this pain,” Paul says. “And transform that into a listening place that’s full of compassion.”

For the past six months, he’s been setting up a sign in public spaces that says, “You are not alone. I will listen,” and inviting people walking by to share their story.

“You talk. I’ll listen. No judgement. No shaming,” Paul explains. “I see beautiful things in people, and I let them know.”

And it’s not just here. He’s travelling across the country, staging what he calls Listening Opportunities.

Since starting on the east coast, Paul says he’s made 50 stops and listened to more than 800 people.

“There’s a teaching, to love your neighbour,” Paul says. “In many ways, you can’t love your neighbour if you don’t know your neighbour.”

And Paul now knows a thing or two about our neighbours from coast to coast: there’s far more that unites us than divides us, and far more people want to help us than harm us.

“People are more loving that hateful,” Paul says.

As Paul continues his journey across B.C. on his way to the northern territories, before wrapping up his journey in Newfoundland, he’s hoping others will also be inspired to transform their pain into purpose.

“Just take that one step towards love, towards hope, towards kindness — just one step,” Paul smiles. “Once that ship is moving, you’ll be amazed.”