What teen agers (and students) are looking for and need

During my early morning time of quiet and reflection I have been reading Anne Lamott’s marvelous book ‘Plan B: Further Thoughts on Faith.’ I found the following passage, which describes “...what teen-agers are looking for and need” to be a clear, powerful statement of my own experience living with and getting to know AU students, expressed far better than I could express it.

“ They need adults who have stayed alive and vital, adults they wouldn’t mind growing up to be. And they need total acceptance of who they are, from adults they trust, and to be welcomed in whatever condition life has left them - needy, walled off. They want guides, adults who know how to act like adults, but with a kid’s heart. They want people who will sit with them and talk about the big questions, even if they don’t have the answers; adults who won’t correct their feelings or pretend not to be afraid. They are looking for adventure, experience, pilgrimages and thrills. And they want a home they can return to, where things are stable and welcoming.”