Being a teenager is hard. Craving freedom and the ability to do what you want, while realizing at the same time you’re trying things often for the first time, without any idea of how to do it well, is scary. Then you leave your parent’s home, or at the very least, high school, hopefully. You’re out in the world, you’ve got a job or you’re in college and every day brings a new reminder that you’re in unchartered waters; utility bills, how much do I borrow for tuition, do I really want to be an engineer? 

Maybe that was just me. One thing I do know is I wouldn’t have navigated those transitions without Sally. No, she wasn’t my therapist, she was my guitar teacher for the better part of ten years.  For ten years we played guitar for an average of 15 minutes a lesson. For the other 45 minutes, Sally listened, asked great questions and most of all, gave a boy a safe place to try and make sense of the confusion and newness in his life. She didn’t judge my decisions or lecture me on the “right” course.  She mostly nodded and smiled, shared a few experiences of her own, and made me feel seen and heard. It made all the difference for me. 

Now, 15 years later, I find myself trying to be like Sally. Sometimes as a therapist, sometimes as a friend, other times as an “uncle,” but always grateful for the example Sally set for me by being a safe place and a listening ear to someone who needs perspective. Who in your life could use a few moments of your time to navigate their current journey? Does your child have someone to walk with them through their exploration of life?

-Josh Healy, PCLC