An Idea by Susan L.

  I have been sitting here for nearly half an hour hoping for some sort of an inspiration for today's post. Instead I discovered one for June's newspaper column. It will take a bit of research because I decided to write about the challenges our aboriginal people face regarding mental health and addictions. It's that or talking about homelessness in our small town.
  It's not the in-your-face kind of homelessness like in the big cities because it is hidden behind closed doors. Couch surfers they call themselves. They are mostly youth who have left home or been kicked out for any number of reasons. They end up having to rely on friends for shelter and food as they struggle to finish high school. If they even do. Sometimes they are on the streets simply because they are discovering who they are and press against parental boundaries.
  Our youth run together in mixed gender packs. I talked to a high school student who is doing her co-op at the centre. I asked her if these groups formed because of the lack of family connections at home. She agreed. In many cases, both parents, or more often these days a single parent, has to work long hours to provide for everyone. Parents come home tired and exhausted. Lavish gifts replace priceless quality time. The North American culture of gotta-have's is toxic to family structure and unity.
  These young men and women are left to fend for themselves for hours at a time. Yes, they are old enough to use the stove without burning down the house but there is a sad frequency of emotional neglect happening.There's something missing in their lives so they turn to each other. All they want is a sense of family, of belonging. Somehow the latest cell phone or gaming system doesn't quite cut it.
  I'm not saying a stay at home parent is the answer. I'm saying my heart goes out to these young people. That's all.
  "Refrain your voice from weeping, and your eyes from tears; For your work shall be rewarded, says the Lord, and they shall come back from the land of the enemy. There is hope in your future, says the Lord, that your children shall come back to their own border." Jer 31:16-17