Connection

Last week I traveled to D.C. with our family. This summer one of my goals is to be more connected to my family. During the school year on most weeks, we do our best but the commitments to sports and extracurricular activities keep us from feeling connected. Our family did enjoy visiting several great museums while in DC. I read about how “each artist signature is the heart- courageously beating beneath life’s brushstrokes.â€

I really thought about this and realized how we ALL need to consider peoples heart. In my work, there are days when judgment of the families we serve are shared or days when my staff share stories of the families they are serving that cause them to have heavy hearts. As the supervisor I provide support to decrease burnout but mostly I allow the space to share from the heart. I openly share from my heart as well, it is important to have someone you can share happy and heavy hearts with.

BirthMatters is about providing individualized education and support. We do this because we know when people truly connect with others they connect from the heart not just the head. Our staff provides great resources and education that help each individual improve skills, that is the headwork. When staff provides the space to share openly about life’s experiences, each individual is working from the heart. This is how behavioral change happens. Each time this happens, and it does not happen every time, a teen feels empowered by their decisions and choices. If our staff always just informed youth about services and changes they need to make then we are missing an opportunity.

As adults we are not opening ready to share from the heart, it feels too vulnerable. This week open yourself up to someone you trust and share just from the heart and see how it benefits you. Or maybe consider someone else’s heart when working with others. We as adults are stuck in our ways and resist change of all kinds. Join me on the journey to feel more connected. Our communities will improve if each of us look into people’s eyes and consider their heart.