I have previously shared a bit about our family’s journey to safety, health and happiness (https://www.eight2eightpursuits.com/post/trading-a-year-for-a-lifetime). If you have followed along, you know that our daughter spent time in the Utah desert at a wilderness therapy program and is currently attending a therapeutic boarding school.
I decided to start writing about our journey in the hopes of encouraging parents and families who have a young person who is hurting and in need. I would like to provide a few words of hope and a listening ear.
I am in the habit of sending a daily, hopefully inspirational, quote to our daughter. Her school has a parent portal where I can see pictures, get updates, talk to the staff – and I can send her messages that are printed out and left on her desk.
When she first arrived at the school, I tried to send her a note each day so she would have something on her desk when she came to the dorm and know that I was thinking of her. To be honest, that became difficult as I ran out of things to talk about. Our family is not very chatty and we are frankly rather boring, so I ended up running out of things to share.
But I wanted her to know that I was thinking of her, so one day I sent her a quote that had inspired me, hoping it would inspire her, too. That turned out to be the ticket. Yes, I was sending her my love through the words of others, but I was still sending love, giving her something to look forward to - and probably laugh at with her peers. And I have found inspiration myself in some of those words.
For some reason, this week, I have been off my game. I ALMOST forgot to send the daily quote, twice! My heart drops to think that she would walk into the dorm and there NOT be a note from me. AGGGG.
But today, I am glad that I was tardy with my inspiration. We had a leadership meeting this morning where the chairman of the board addressed our group. I have had the honor of meeting him in person twice and he is a lovely individual who guides our CEO with integrity and good sense. He said the most amazing thing that I had to capture in a little note that will sit on my desk. If you cannot read my writing in the picture, it says:
“It’s not a failure. It’s a setback. A setback is a setup for a comeback.”
This spoke to me on so many levels. From a career perspective, I am currently recovering from what could indeed be called a ‘setback’ (or at least a change in plans from what I had envisioned). How empowering to think of the situation as a springboard for what happens next.
And of course, I thought of our daughter. She has absolutely experienced what could be called a ‘setback’ if you think only in linear terms, meaning of course the disruption of her high school years and all the social growth that characterizes the teenage experience.
Her ‘setup’ has not been easy, will not be easy for a while yet, but her ‘comeback’ is going to be spectacular.
I did send her the quote as her inspiration today (hopefully in time for it to make it to her desk – fingers crossed).
If it would be helpful to know the resources our family has used to seek help and healing:
The Envoy Group (https://www.theenvoygroup.com/) assists families, at no charge, in finding the right wilderness program, therapeutic boarding school or residential treatment center.
StarGuides (https://starguideswilderness.com/) helps both boys and girls break dangerous addictions through therapeutic wilderness experiences in the beautiful Utah desert.
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