To Young People this Holiday Season
Dear young people of Donegal,
Wow, what a year! The countdown is on for 2021, and while all of our problems won’t magically be fixed at midnight on the 31st of December, many will breathe a sigh of relief and bid a not so fond farewell to this year.
We just want to say a quick thank you, to you, yes to all of you young people. We know how incredibly difficult this year has been for you. It has been full of stress, disappointment and uncertainty.
We know how much you have all sacrificed to keep our communities safe and slow the spread of Covid-19, and we know how much you have missed out on because of it. Missed graduations, last days, first days, care-free summer days. You have all missed a lot, and you have given up a lot. This has not gone unnoticed. You have also shown great strength and resilience in the face of adversity. We know that despite all of your sacrifices you were often wrongly blamed for the spread of the virus. We know how unfair this is. You can be proud of yourselves for all that you have done to keep people safe. Thank you.
As we get closer to the end of the year, take some time to look back and reflect over the past 12 months. Many of us were excited to be entering into a new decade, many proclaimed that ‘2020’ would be their year. It seems like 2020 was nobody’s year, but in between all of the chaos and challenges ask yourself some questions…Did anything positive happen? Have you learned anything about yourself? What are you grateful for? How did you cope? What was the highlight of your year? It can be difficult to remember the good amongst the bad sometimes, so taking some time to really reflect can be beneficial going forward.
This was a big year for Donegal Youth Service. We had to close our doors for months and move everything online. We had to find new ways to connect and support young people in Donegal. Now we are proud to say we are rightfully seen as an essential service and are able to provide a blended service of both online and face to face work, to keep everyone safe.
We know the holiday season isn’t always a happy one for many of you at the best of times. We still don’t know exactly what it will look like this year, but we hope you can find some joy and peace whatever it brings.
We are all living through history right now, and we will all be coming to terms with this for years. This year will be a big one in the history books, and remember young people in the future will have an awful lot to memorise for future tests! At least you won’t have to study for that exam.
See you later, 2020!
Remember:
Bad days don’t mean that you have a bad life.
Bad days are normal.
It’s ok to ask for help.
Talking helps.
You won’t always feel like this.
The world won’t always be like this.
Tomorrow is a new day.
Together we will get through this.
Take care of yourselves, and each other!
For more information about any Donegal Youth Service’s services or supports please visit www.donegalyouthservice.ie, or find DYS on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Call us on 074 9129630. Donegal Youth Service is a registered charity. Registered charity number: 20050696.
This article originally appeared in: The Leader newspaper. Donegal Youth Service have a column in each issue. Pick up a copy today!
