On the Water

I got assigned to work with the teenage girls at church and it kind of terrified me. I'm not cool enough to work with teens (as my own teens constantly remind me). I went camping with a bunch of them this summer and was for sure the slowest hiker and at one point so out of touch that one girl teased me, "Okay, Boomer" (proud Millennial, thank you very much!). Ha ha. But one thing I've learned the more I spend time with all these amazing kids is how easy they are to love. I am so endeared to them for all their quirks, their humors, their personalities, the things that make them each so awesome. They are hilarious! Also, I was not prepared for how much being around them has changed ME for the better. I am constantly humbled by their goodness and the things they teach me. I go home thinking so deeply about things they say and then wanting to be more like them because of their good examples and pure hearts. I love the teenagers. I want to help them feel seen and loved and know that they don't have to be alone rowing over the choppy waters of adolescence. It's a lot. What a roller coaster these years are for all of them! But they are strong and amazing and I feel lucky to get a front row seat to witnessing it. ["On the Water" 8x10, available Sept 12-13 at @artatthparkutah mark your calendars!]