When I Was Your Age...

On Tuesday Ready by 21 Mentoring hosted 20 mentors and the sophomore class

of DISHS on a trip to Isle au Haut for a day of fun, community service and 

"getting to know you"

It was wonderful and I continue to be blown away by the quality of

the community I live in.

Our youth are kind, curious and full of possibility  and our

adults are kind, curious and full of possibility

The perfect match!

As the school year winds down

- and I'm back to mowing the lawn - 

It is fun to remember all the ways we've brought older and younger together this year

 It really does enrich everyone's life, so much, to connect

 and share exactly where each of us is in the here and now.

The one thing that seems to stand out for me is that almost every

adult that has come to be with the kids has said

"When I was your age...."

The cool thing is that the end to that sentence hasn't always

been steeped in what it used to be and what they should be doing

The messages have been more like;

"I thought I could do anything"

"I thought I was invincible"

"I was so worried"

"I didn't have half the pressures you all have since social media"

"I had so much fun"

"I thought I'd never make it out"

And as I continue to mow the lawn

(not because my Dad told me to, but because I have chosen to)

 I realize that I haven't changed much since I was "that age"

The real difference is that

time and experience has given me the wisdom

 to tweak some of those early beliefs

I still believe I can do anything - that I choose to do

My sense of invincibility has turned into a commitment to a healthy lifestyle

I've learned that worrying is always an option, but truly overrated

We are all learning about social media together

and the fun that used to get me in trouble is now legal!

The biggest one for me was that feeling that I'd never get out

But I did.  and I did again.  and I did again

Our possibilities are truly endless

We just have to recognize and love that 

sweet, crazy, impulsive, passionate, stymied teenager 

inside of all of us.

Give her a big hug, thanking her for the opportunities and

forgiving her the mistakes.

Enjoy your holiday weekend and thank you for all you are

Kyra

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