Got a Happy Story is a community gathering every Monday night where we share stories large and small that have put a smile on our face. It is a time to acknowledge the joy and wonder we experience. The Happy Story diary exists as a way to anchor the community in hope and comfort while we do the hard work of taking back our country. Everyone and all sorts of stories and pictures are welcome. May we find joy and strength here.
Erick Erikson defined generativity as "the concern for establishing and guiding the next generation."
I have a heartwarming story about generativity from work this week. Actually two stories.
Merriam Webster's definition of generativity is:
a concern for people besides self and family that usually develops during middle age; especially : a need to nurture and guide younger people and contribute to the next generation —used in the psychology of Erik Erikson
I don't agree with Erikson that generativity develops in middle age. I think we can see it through the life cycle as older siblings encourage younger ones, peer leaders work with others in the school, and neighbors welcome each other to town by pointing out the good restaurants and ice cream shops.
So from work, this is what I have to offer. I'm currently working in a residential facility for boys with significant emotional and behavioral problems. I was talking with one of the milieu supervisors and he mentioned that he was going to take two of the boys to get haircuts. He told me where he was bringing them and I was surprised. The small city in question was about 40 minutes away and there were plenty of local places. When I asked about it, he finally said that he was bringing him to his barber and that he'd known his barber since he was a kid. He went on to say that he'd met the barber when he was at The Boys and Girls Club and the man had coached him for years.
It was all I could do to hold back saying something sentimental, which would have annoyed this tough guy supervisor. But it is one of the sweetest stories I've heard recently. He was taking the troubled young boys from his job to see the man who helped him when he was a troubled young boy. It was his way to show his barber/mentor that he'd made such a difference in the supervisor's life that it inspired him to reach out to the next generation of kids in need.
The other story I witnessed myself. One of the older kids in the program, I'll change his name to Josh, has been a little out of sorts lately with nothing going particularly well for him. We have a younger boy in the program, I'll call him Dave, who has been a handful since he arrived. Many of the staff were feeling worn out by all of the effort and attention required to safely maintain Dave. Josh saw Dave being challenging with 2 staff people and decided to step in. He's assigned himself a mentoring role with Dave and spends time with him one on one at least 3 times a week. The number of restraints with Dave have decreased. And now staff will occasionally invite Josh to give ideas on how to manage a situation with Dave. Dave enjoys the attention of an older kid and Josh likes the respect he's receiving from staff. He's more invested in his own plans now and no longer feels stagnant.
Those are my happy stories from work. What happy stories from your life do you have to share with us this week?