Prioritizing your presence is hard. We all struggle with it, and you see it daily as you commute on the roadways. Drivers are not present when the light turns green, while others seem to think the commute is an excellent time to catch up on social media. Still, even without technological distractions, accidents happen, and the most common denominator is the lack of prioritizing presences.
Many things in daily life call for our attention at any given moment, but nothing is more important than the people with whom you share that moment. Hope Collaborative is about the value of being present for others, especially students. The intentional presence of a loving, caring adult in any student’s life will help them thrive. Our goal is to come alongside parents, guardians, educators, and counselors to be present for students. They may not remember what you say, but they will remember you valued them. So put down the phone, close the laptop, and turn off the TV to prioritize them with a smile, direct eye contact, hug, and engaging conversation. We do not need to wait for a crisis in someone’s life to show up for them. Prioritizing your presence with them will help them avoid pitfalls, not because you have the answers, but because they feel valued by you. What would your world look like if you set aside a little more time for others and when with them, you prioritized them at that moment? Your presence can help others thrive; all you have to do is fully show up.