I recently spent time with two different boys in the same day communicating something identical. One is a 7th grader and one is a Junior in high school. Both are navigating the complicated developmental space of adolescence. One is on the front side of adolescence and the other is in the middle.
I’ve always believed being a teenager was difficult. I’ve never believed it more than in this day and age. As I write this, the U.S. Surgeon General just issued an advisory to highlight the current youth mental health crisis and to call for urgent action. Our country is seeing the highest rates of anxiety and depression in kids and adolescents than any other time in history.
The young men I spent time with talked about what it’s like to face what they are facing, and how alone they often feel alone in it. Adolescent boys aren’t often skilled in sharing their struggle with others. It’s difficult for them to articulate their experience, but it’s never been more important for them to learn to do so.
Both these young men are part of different groups at Daystar. They are learning to be honest about how they are doing in the company of a safe group of guys. They talked about how almost no one at school knows what’s really going on in their lives but all the guys in group do. One of them described feeling “alone” at school and “surrounded” at group. The other young man, describing the same difference, said its like “night and day.”
When I consider the phrase “night and day,” I think about why we celebrate this season. A baby arrived and everything changed. Night and day. We no longer walk in darkness without hope. As Daystar seeks to reflect all the arrival of Jesus means for us and how that night changed everything, we get to anchor kids who are struggling and feeling alone to hope.
Thank you for helping us offer that hope in the midst of a youth mental health crisis happening all around us. You are helping us create a night and day difference in the lives of countless kids and adolescents. We couldn’t do the work we’re doing without you surrounding us.
With much gratitude and Merry Christmas,
David Thomas
Director of Family Counseling
