photo by Ne$
In my work I come across a lot of sad stories. Too many young people are struggling with multiple roadblocks in their lives. My heart goes out to them. We (I work in a school) do the best we can to address their educational needs, and when they have other needs, we work hard to find the correct social service agency that can help them.
You'd be very impressed if you could see all the big-hearted, kind, hard-working human service workers there are in this world. Too often it's only the rotten ones we hear about. (Yes, they do exist.) I can't tell you how many times I have sat in meetings to help iron out a plan to address all the complicated needs of a particular student... and I've been thrilled to be a part of the entourage of caring people and services represented at the table.
Some of the sad stories I have come across:
1) a student who spent most of his/her growing up years in foster care due to a drug-dealing mother, and who now at 18 is struggling to make a go of adult life, alone.
2) a student who, after 15 years of being able bodied, was struck with a catastrophic disease which caused deafness, legal blindness, and physical weakness.
3) a student who grew up with such turmoil that he/she rarely saw success modeled in life, so sabotages his/her own near-success every time it's just around the corner
4) a student whose disabilities prevent him/her from reading above a second grade level but whose parent insists that he/she should go to college.
5) a student who was abandoned by one parent, and the other parent is in prison.
I could get political here, but I am not going to. I just want you to remember children and young adults who suffer terribly and who are trying so hard to succeed. Please keep them in your prayers, and pray for our society, too, that we not forget to care and to help each other. Open our eyes to what is and who is in front of our noses, so we can make a difference in this world.
5 comments:
Great post. I worked in public education for 30+ years and the general public has no idea how hard we work to help young people. So many are struggling and school it the place they turn for help. One of the great pleasures is seeing a former student and hearing how well they are doing.
Oh Carol... these examples bring up so many feelings in me! I will certainly pray for some goodness to come your student's way.
I'm always thinking about our kids :)
Our daughter's disability worker is the greatest. I don't know what we would do without her. Before we had services, we were barely making it through each day, let alone ever coming up for air. She made it so we could breath again!
You put these problems into words which go to the heart, Carol and I'll join you in your prayers for these kids and the people I'm trying to help. Perhaps we can all make a difference in some lives.
hugs
The stories of the people I worked with were always the hardest part of my job. I couldn't fix those problems for them, so I just had to do what I could to make the part that I was involved in as good as possible. I know that you do that.
I loved my gift exchange gift. My note pad is on the fridge already and I can't wait to read the book.
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