Day Twelve and Day Thirteen

Sorry for the delay in posting. This week has just flown by and I have been getting up early to get a jog in over in Shelby Farms Park every morning so there just hasn't been time to write. But if you are ever in Memphis I would highly recommend Shelby Farms. Pictures below!

It has been a pretty uneventful couple of days. Several of our boys are discharging to lower level facilities so that is exciting. Other boys seem to be more escalated than what I have witnessed so far. I guess everyone has good days and bad days, but it amazes me that the quietest kids on the courtyard will suddenly explode into anger over something so minute. They are all mostly in the early to mid teenage years and are going through a lot of changes that I assume are hard to process and understand. Most all of them use anger as an outlet for their frustration so it is important for the staff to process with them and use the anger reducing therapy skills that they are taught.

"Which staff do you think you will learn the most from?"

One of our questions today in consultations was which staff member we thought we would learn the most from this summer. I chose a woman that I work with who has the most incredible ability to smile in every moment of every day. Even if she is dead tired she never lets it show. She has the most amazing attitude and leaves any personal issues that she has at the door. I have yet to see her upset or bad mouth anyone else. She has a pretty good rapport with the kids on our courtyard. I admire her so much for being able to come in and give these kids the love and attention that they all need. It is a very hard thing to do especially when you are having a horrible day and the last place on earth you want to be is at work. I really do hope that just by being around her I can learn to be more like her in all aspects of my life.