Dear Youth Workers, You Are BADASS
I stand with you and I thank you.
It's late, or early, depending on how you look at it. 4:43AM. I'm laying in bed tossing and turning and my mind is going a mile a minute. Thinking about things I could change, things I've done wrong, things I've forgotten, etc. It seems like a never-ending list my restless mind is creating. I've only worked in the field of social services, specifically with youth, for a few years so I'm not the most experienced, however, it's still a passion that I care deeply about.
Working with youth has had many ups and downs and I just want to say a genuine thank you to those who have chosen this path.
Thank you for staying at work until 3 AM after a 12-hour shift because one of your youth has gone AWOL.
Thank you for dealing with the youth who don't know how to deal with their emotions other than yelling, screaming and throwing things.
Thank you for sitting on the bathroom floor with a youth reminding them of their worth while they self-harm.
Thank you for spending hours listening to a youth talk before bed because they need to feel comforted and just need an ear to listen.
Thank you for those little breakdowns in the washroom at work after you had to go hands-on with a youth.
Thank you for the effort you put into making Christmas feel special for the youth who are in care and have no family.
Thank you for those hours of paperwork after a night of events. Those full moons keep us on our toes.
Thank you for realizing that youth has skipped their last 3 meals.
Thank you for those hour-long phone calls with a parent that just want the best for their child and need some support.
Thank you for those breakdowns on your way home from work because you're exhausted and just need to cry.
Thank you for putting up with the verbal, physical and emotional abuse day in and day out. However, continue to look at each day as a fresh start.
Thank you for forgiving when a youth let their hurtful words take over their emotions and you were their target.
Thank you for putting your own issues aside and continued to be strong even when you wanted to cry and scream.
Thank you for the late nights that you tossed and turned and let your mind get the best of you.
Thank you for not giving up.
I could go on and on. If you're like me you probably roll your eyes once you see the reaction of people after you tell them what you do for a living. "Aw, that's so sweet, good for you." Some people get it, some don't. But that doesn't matter because we all know why we do this job.
This job isn't an easy job. There will be days that you question yourself and think is it really worth it. But there will be days you'll drive home with a smile on your face because it was a great day.
To everyone I've come across in my journey so far, thank you for teaching me how to be the best Child and Youth Worker I can be so far.