'Not me' I hear you say. January is often a difficult month: cold, dark weather; a long time until the summer; post-christmas blues when it is a bit quiet.
It is also a time to nurture ourselves. Reflect on changes you want to see and take a step towards them.
Things are no different at Transitions. One of our tents kept blowing down. In the first place the effort was put into getting the thing back up again. But the wind was stronger. And the tent fell down again. So we paused and had a look around the site. We noticed which way the wind was blowing and wondered if the tent was just in the wrong spot. After the tent fell down the third time we felt it would be worth trying something new.
So the students and staff worked together and dismantled the whole tent. A big job. Putting the tent out the way so it could dry out. Moving the ground sheet. Lifting the mud mats which had sunk into the mud. Then there was thinking about the new spot - yes it was more sheltered and so will hopefully help the tent stay upright on windy days, but where should the mud mats go, have we left enough space for the guy ropes, will Cookie the cat still be able to get to his escape tunnel to keep out of Rafi the dog’s way?
We used communication skills to discuss thoughts on the mud mats. We respected different ideas, especially when ours wasn’t the one taken forward. We reflected on the first plan we had made for the tent and adapted it when we realised we would get a better view. If we were struggling, we said so and our listening skills meant we heard others when they needed us.
The job is not yet finished. The base is ready but the tent needs re-erecting - if we can find a dry spot in the January weather.
But the students left this week, knowing that they had faced and maybe overcome some of the key barriers they lived with to getting on well in life. They had experienced positive examples of when they had managed tricky situations and seen an achievement. There were new relationships formed. Experiences to draw on next time things aren’t working out well.
And January proved to us that it can provide beautiful moments. Sunsets like this only come on a cold clear day. Perhaps they inspire us to carry on, to the next day - see what it will bring.