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42 JULY 2002
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editorial

Take a minute off

My life has been crazy lately. You know how it is. Everything is going along smoothly and then one day it just all gets crazy, out of control, over the edge. Illness in the family, changes in work, demands from others which you have to respond to immediately, just, well, things; life things, “living through the days” things. All of a sudden it seems like there is no time for yourself – everything you do seems to be dictated by someone else’s needs. Well, that’s where I’m at these days. Right in the middle of it.

Except for a short moment this morning. Early morning, I must confess, before people think I might be awake and start calling. Just after the sun came up. I went out back with a cup of fresh brewed coffee, listened to the sounds of the world waking up and for a few minutes, just a few, escaped the demands of my daily life. And it got me to thinking.

How do we help the people we work with “escape” for even just a few minutes from the demands of their daily life. So that they can find even just a few minutes which are stress and demand free. So they can just “be with themselves” for a few minutes. Be relaxed, be at peace. And here are some thoughts that came to mind.

There are a million ways we can take a short break. They need not be complicated. Basically it just involves stopping for a minute. The point here is not how we could do it, but that we should. Our lives, and those of the youth and families which whom we work, are filled and busy. Sometimes, just taking a break for a few minutes, helps us to find a moment when we can be relaxed, or peaceful.

And you will find it amazing how long a minute can last.

So, take a break.

Thom

The International Child and Youth Care Network
THE INTERNATIONAL CHILD AND YOUTH CARE NETWORK (CYC-Net)

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