You’ve heard it.
Every generation says it.
“I am so sad about the world we are leaving to our children / grandchildren. “
national debt 
environment
violence
family time
moral decline
…
 
Then the next generation, ever-so-smarter than the one before…
with
technology that has advanced exponentially
knowledge that grew in unfathomable ways
discoveries and inventions that exploded into new medicines, entertainment, communication, product
   developments
new and exciting opportunities for entertainment and adventure beyond wildest dreams
so many gains since the generation before...
 
…says the same.

I think we keep GETTING smarter.  We just don’t DO smarter… 
When will we DO?  
 

Snow again!?  Really?!?
Isn't it bad enough that we are stuck in the house with this awful coronavirus?
It's the middle of April and the third consecutive day my early morning look out the window was a snow covered scene.
It was a minute before I saw it, but it looked like glitter - everywhere! Snowflakes reflecting the light of the sun covered the driveway.  The sparkles were everywhere!  
Ironically, the gorgeous clear, blue, sunny sky hadn't even registered until I saw the sparkles on the ground.
Perhaps this would be a good way to look at our pandemic experience - I could see restrictions, shortages, fears frustrations, and all the things I have "lost."  Or I can notice peace, opportunities, blessings, and the "gains."  
I choose the latter. 
​I like glitter.  

January 28 , 2020
​More than ten years ago I was writing a column for a bi-weekly newsletter for the education system for which I worked.  Every two weeks, I’d send in my piece, humbly wondering if anything I had to say would resonate with any of the readers, or if I was just being self-indulgent, imagining that someone else would relate to my thoughts and perspective. Frequently I received an e-mail or message from a peer, expressing appreciation for my contributions, and even an occasional suggestion that I start a blog. I dismissed the idea, went on with my career, my life, my career changes, and my life changes, and here I am.  
For the past few weeks, mini inspirational moments and whispers in my heart have suggested that I write some things down.  I’ve acknowledged the whispers, then ignored them, and went on with my part-time job (not really a career anymore) and my life (much more peaceful and slower paced than it used to be.)  
And THEN... I SAW and HEARD Demi Lovato on the Grammy Award Show.  I saw her start a song, choke up, stumble, pause, and start again. I saw her whisper softly, nervously, then growing in strength and confidence, until she was belting out her pain and her passion from the bottom of her soul. I knew wasn’t just WATCHING a performer sing her song.  I SAW her.  I HEARD her.  I SAW her pain.  I HEARD her plea.  I wanted to reach through the TV and tell her!  I wanted her to know “I SEE YOU.” And “I HEAR YOU.”  "YES!  I'm LISTENING!" I won’t say I FELT her pain. I won’t even say I UNDERSTOOD it. I know I have felt pain. I know I have understood pain. But I don’t know that I felt or understood hers. I haven’t experienced HERS.
I am a Social Worker by trade.  I work as a therapist in a teen clinic.  I've listened to lots of pain. I know I can’t fix anyone’s life.  I know I can’t solve their problems.  But what I do know is that people want to be SEEN and want to be HEARD.  I CAN do that.  Too often we try to take it one step further, not just as a therapist, but as a friend or family member and say “I know how you feel.”  And then we go on to tell our own story to help convince that other person that we truly do know how they feel because we have had a similar experience.  The problem is, now the conversation is about US.  Just when they really needed us to see, hear, and care about THEM.  
I’m a work in progress.  I’m constantly reminding myself too, that when someone I know is struggling, that what they need to know is I SEE them, I HEAR them, and while I don’t KNOW how they feel, I am Listening.  And yes, I CARE.  That means I’m reminding myself to keep it about them.  
So thank you Demi Lovato. I’m sorry about your pain. I’m sorry you didn’t feel heard. But thank you for your song.  Thank you for singing it loud and with so much power.  Thank you for giving us a reminder to SEE people and to HEAR people.  I know I’m inspired to spread that message.  I guess it was the inspiration I needed to actually start that blog after all these years.  
​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqtooBbxuaw