The Christmas party at the Schuyler Inn, a converted motel housing families experiencing homelessness, was in full swing. Children decorated cookies, picked out books and mittens and had their pictures taken with Santa. Smiles blossomed across the room.
I worked alongside two teenagers, age 14 and 15, who used to live at Schuyler Inn and are now in a stable place to live. They came back this year to help with the Christmas party. Someone introduced them both to me as high school basketball players. A long time volunteer and mentor interjected, "Yeah, but, do you know what they are mostly? They're good kids!"
I noticed that these words, said within their earshot, made a significant impression on them. Self-doubt is a constant companion to many teenagers. If we are honest, many adults never quite recover from seeds of self-doubt planted at that age.
Many gifts float around this time of year. The gift I witnessed this Christmas was one adult having confidence in teenagers who have little confidence in themselves. My prayer is that this confidence one day becomes their own.