Each day we have a new opportunity to look at our life from a new perspective. We are never sure what life will bring us as is evident from this pandemic and all that happens to people we love and know. No one gets through life without bumps along the way. No matter what challenges we may encounter , how we perceive them is up to us.
As I walk, I notice the world around me and have time to reflect on how I will deal with life. Today is my opportunity to devour all the goodness that life has to offer and so I will.
After not having walked for 14 days , it has been great to get out the last couple of days. Two years ago I set a goal to walk every single day from July 1st to July 1st and I met my goal. Last year and this year I was unable to walk every single day due to unfortunate circumstances. I would have been very disappointed in not being able to reach my goal had I set that goal for this year. Sometimes goals are like that, things get in the way, but we need to keep moving forward. This year I made a goal of writing in my blog every single day. I just need to take each day and do the best I can. Really it’s just about leaving something behind that my children can hopefully read someday and tell our future grandchildren a bit about their grandmother.
I also write in this blog to help School Counsellors, but this year it’s going to be a bit more personal.
Walking is healing for me. I miss it I am unable to walk, so if you like to walk #walkalongwithme . I’ve been at this for awhile now and I have no intention of stopping.
I could not be prouder to volunteer with the Youth Champion Initiative . What the Sheldon Kennedy Child Advocacy Centre , Youth Smarts Calgary and Canadian Mental Health do to support our youth is inspiring and so extremely important. I love that I am able to help in a tiny way .  Kim Campbell and Ashley Lamantia  lead the way to help youth day in and day out. Thanks for all you do all year-long.
What an incredible way to wrap-up our year together! Today @CMHACalgary's YouthSMART and @skcac celebrated the accomplishments of our outstanding #youthchampionsyyc senior high teams, for their hard work promoting mental health and belonging in #yyc and area schools! https://t.co/7ojj7QTHWv
The real reason I volunteer for this initiative is that if I can help in some small way to promote the work that Sheldon Kennedy has already done and is doing to make a difference for youth, especially when it comes to child abuse and sexual abuse, then I too can feel like I have contributed . I can be very proud to stand up and say I have done my very small part to open the door to this discussion and be a part of the incredible work already being done. I can celebrate students and staff who also want to make a difference when it comes to child advocacy.
According to the SKCAC in 2008 there were 14,403 substantiated cases of child abuse in Alberta. 7091 infants , youth and children were seen at the centre and 124 new cases are assessed each month.
Mental health and trauma affect way too many of our students , so collaborating with people who are continuing to have an impact makes me feel I have contributed to a society that cares about the mental health and the wellbeing of our youth and that is something for me that is so worthy of doing!
Counsellor Talk : Connecting with those who want to make a difference. 