A friend of mine made what I consider to be a profound observation a couple weeks ago. He said, “You shouldn’t judge the success or failure of children until they are about 30.” We were discussing how often a small group of young people are recognized over and over again during their teen years as being the “good kids” while another, much larger, group receives very little (if any) recognition and acclaim. We concluded this tendency of our society is a mistake because all young people deserve to be recognized for the gifts and talents and the basic goodness they have. The only disagreement I have with my friend on his comment is I think 30 is still too young to judge the success or failure of a person.

I know you are probably thinking, “Yeah, but what about the troublemakers and problem kids?” Well, it must be admitted that some young people make very serious mistakes and very poor decisions. Sadly, at times, these mistakes can haunt them their entire lives. Even if these young people, however, are basically good. Sometimes poor choices camouflage the good that resides within. This does not mean the good is not there. It just means it is hidden and needs to be brought out.

Many people in our community are sharing in the mission of uncovering this goodness, so that the God given gifts and talents of our youth can be seen. These people include many hard working and caring educators who refuse to give up on the young people in their care. Others in our community give the same message through church youth groups, charitable institutions, youth clubs, and mentor organizations. These people day in and day out tell our youth that they have value, worth and great potential. They tell our young people not to give up. They encourage them to overcome tough circumstances or past mistakes.

Such community resources are valuable not only to our youth but to all of us. Their help and support of youth unlocks hidden goodness and potential and helps many young people find success that they would not otherwise experience. As a result of this work, many young people who seemed doomed to failure become contributing members of our society. In turn, many of these youth will reciprocate and become positive influences of others.

This holiday season is a good time to express our appreciation to the encouragers of our children. It is a time to thank them for their selfless giving and their belief in the basic goodness of all. It is also a good time for all of us to reflect on our attitudes and behaviors, and ask this question, “What am I doing to help bring out the best in the young people I know?”

As my friend said two weeks ago, we must never give up on any of our young people. We have no idea how much potential greatness resides within each one. Like the butterfly struggling to become free of the cocoon we await the good that emerges from the challenges of youth.

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