Happy Sunday!
Today is a pretty quiet day as far as any special events or meetings for my non-profit humane society, Animal Education and Rescue (AEAR). Taking advantage of the warmer weather (yay!) a couple of AEAR’s older youth club kids are coming over to help clean/organize the storage areas, office and the van.
That got me thinking, about kids, that is. How important is it that adults mentor young people? Very, I think. I thought back to the people of my childhood who mentored me. I once wrote about my beloved teacher, Mr. Allen, whom I give 100% credit for keeping me in high school. Then there was my “aunt” Leah, who while she never did anything with me one-on-one, she was a huge influence in my life. Through her example and time with her and her family, she showed me that you CAN be feminine AND strong…that the two don’t have to be exclusive but can be one in the same.
Then I got thinking about my brother Ben. He had a mentor in his childhood who helped nurture his love of electronics, a budding field at that time. That adult mentor was his life-line for many, many years. My brother is an astoundingly brilliant and successful person in his field today.
My adult son Danny had a mentor in a neighbor. When Danny was about ten he wanted to make money. So we told him that he could go door-to-door and offer lawn mowing services. We would provide the lawn mower. Chuck had Danny practice mowing our lawn first.
An elderly neighbor across the street hired Danny. For weeks Mr. Price oversaw Danny. He taught him how to improve his lawn mowing skills and to take pride in his work. He was pretty strict with Danny, insisting he show up on time and that he get the job done in a timely manner. Sometimes Danny complained about it but I knew that what Mr. Price was doing for Danny was…well… priceless.
This time of year so many people are setting goals for next year. We are thinking about ways to improve our lives, help our communities and give to the world. I think included in that list should be to mentor a child. It doesn’t have to be anything huge, like becoming a big brother or sister…although you could do that. Just setting an intention is all it takes to get the ball rolling. Open your heart to a child…a small thing to you may be huge to a child. AND you never know, what you do for a child could shape their lives in a positive way causing a chain reaction of positive change in the world.
Enjoy this special day,
Sandy Kamen Wisniewski
(Photo is of Animal Education and Rescue long time youth club kids Emma and Lauren at a big event in April.)