One Kid's Story

Running Away

What comes to mind when you think of kids who run away from home? Teenagers off on an adventure, looking for a good time? Kids who can return home when it doesn't work out?

Or maybe you think of kids who make trouble at school? Who don't want to listen to their parents or anybody? Who just want to do what they want to do?

Or perhaps you think of young people with lots of problems and parents who don't care?

Really, there's no one way to describe young people who run away or who are homeless, or to describe backgrounds they come from. They are males and females; from rich families and poor families. They may be your daughter or sister, nephew or friend.

Links that might help: Who runs away? Why young people run What parents and friends should look for Preventing running away What you need to think about What happens on street: meet Mike Options Mike thought about If your child has run A letter from street If you need to talk

Suicide

Most young people end up killing themselves because they simply don't know where else to turn. They are in some kind of pain that seems unbearable and they want pain to stop. They end up stopping their entire lives just because they didn't know what else to do.

Here are some links that might help: Why do people kill themselves? Suicide warning signs What do you know about suicide? Need to talk?

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JOAN BRAMSCH is a family person, educator, writer and E-publisher. Her articles appear internationally in print and online. Six of her best-selling adult novels - near one million copies - have worldwide distribution. Her Empowered Parenting Ezine serves 1000 parents around the globe. http://www.JoanBramsch.com mailto:hijoan@joanbramsch.com

The young people who have never been schooled in responsible behavior and others who grow to adulthood still caught in groove of inward adolescence become misfits of society. They continually change jobs because they still believe there is a perfect vocation for them (read: little work, no responsibilities). Or, like many indoctrinated by welfare system, they believe if they are looking, if they are standing on line, they are, in fact, doing something constructive for their owe well-being. Many times they leave family and friends in search of Utopia and, often, they become embittered old people who believe that they were never given opportunity for happiness. Opportunity was always there, right in front of their eyes, only they looked but did not see.

Now this is not to say that searching for one's place in this world is not good. The searching can be done responsibly. But one must remember that happiness can never be found in outward -- happiness is found within. Each of us has a responsibility to be happy. It certainly isn't an easy task. Every day cannot be joyous. We must have some pain or else we can never fully savor delicious taste of success.

It is a privilege and a responsibility to live each day to best of our ability. No one owes us happiness. No one can make us happy but Power to Be and ability to be happy that lies within. We each have responsibility for our own welfare and happiness. It's only way to grow "free" in society.

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JOAN BRAMSCH is a family person, educator, writer and E-publisher. Her articles appear internationally in print and online. Six of her best-selling adult novels - near one million copies - have worldwide distribution. Her Empowered Parenting Ezine serves 1000 parents around the globe. http://www.JoanBramsch.com mailto:hijoan@joanbramsch.com