We want to take this week’s post as an opportunity to remind everyone not only to be merry and express gratitude for our good fortunes and the presence of our loved ones, but for VDA to show appreciation for our growing village. We’re excited to serve the youth and offer our humble guidance to provide them with the tools that they may need to succeed as adults.
It is recommended to always to take time out of each day to recognize something that you may be grateful for, whether it be the company of a loved one, a task crossed off the ‘to-do’ list, or a warm meal to eat. Not everyone is as fortunate as many are struggling with food or housing insecurity. We hope this exercise can be humbling and grounding to help recognize the positives in our lives, and to raise awareness for those that are facing disparity.
We want people to see and understand that there are so many of us that lack the resources to get ahead in today’s America and to not pass judgement onto them for how they may have ended up in that position as many of them statistically have been fostered youth at one time. Many homeless people experience mental health conditions that are beyond their control and understanding so it is up to us as a society to lend a hand not only to them now, but to the youth so they may have the opportunities that so many have not.
And if you find yourself in a place where you may feel like you are struggling to keep up or get by, remember that you are not alone. There are resources available to you and always choices to be made. No matter where you may find yourself in life, there will always be something to be grateful for, you may just need to challenge your mindset. Some may even argue that the only path to true happiness is through persistent gratefulness.
Happiness is subjective after all, but it is something that we as people all hope to be. During this holiday season, we may find ourselves thinking fondly about the people in our lives that matter as we consider which gifts we can give to fill them with a sense of joy and appreciation. Hopefully, we take this time to have true gratitude for their presence in our lives and are thinking about how we can express it to each other.
Consider too those children and teens in care may be less fortunate in their situations but can show sincere joy upon being embraced, not as strangers, but as members of the family during this time. They are every bit as deserving of our love, attention, and compassion as anyone else and their resiliency is something to be admired.
Go out this week and enjoy time with loved ones and take some time for yourself as well. Be kind to one another, and to yourself. The power of role modeling these traits and actions for children and teens in or out of care cannot be overstated and should be recognized as the remarkable tool that it is. Role modeling in this way stands too as a reminder to ourselves to be grateful for the small things in life that really remind us how glad we are to have moments worth remembering. It won't blind us from the realities, but should give us perspective to glean more meaning from the otherwise mundane in our own pursuit of happiness.
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