September always takes me back to my school days, and gets me reminiscing about how exciting it was going to be to be able to be with my friends again. I was excited to wear my new school clothes that I purchased with my babysitting money - even if they were corduroys and a long-sleeved shirt, in a school without air-conditioning.

To be able to purchase new school supplies, my family sold sweet corn: 25 cents per dozen or five dozen for $1. It was all hands on deck to load up a rickety wooden trailer with sweet corn. No one could snap those cobs off faster than my mom; she needed several runners to keep up. My brothers would hook the trailer to our old Case tractor and not make any friends as we drove the mile or so on Highway 25.

We would bounce back and forth as we putted along among the weekend traffic, hoping not to lose any corn or paper bags. They would disconnect the trailer, leave me and my sister with a tackle box of change, and take the same route back home, then come and retrieve us at the end of the night - or when we were out of corn. I am reminded of our little money maker when I see corn stands along the side of the road, or the back-to-school supplies in stores. I also think about our kids, hoping that they have what they need to start the school year.  

Growing up, one thing we never did was talk about mental health. It wasn’t because we didn’t have any need to, it was because we didn’t even have the words. You just put a smile on and powered forward, for better or worse. I am grateful we are in a place where the words "mental health" are well known, and that there are more resources available.

Even with these resources, growing up today has so many more challenges than it did from my day. And yet, kids have always needed someone in their corner. We know that our kids with mentors have a stronger emotional base and social/emotional development. Long-term benefits include better life outcomes such as higher high school graduation rates, reduced juvenile delinquency, and enhanced career readiness. Our mentors report better life-satisfaction and more joy. It is a win-win for them individually, for their families, and for our community. 

Thank you to everyone for making it possible for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Minnesota to be here for more than 55 years. Your kindness and belief in our kids make all the difference in the world. And if you see a tractor going a little slower than you'd like down some of our state highways, be patient - you never know who's driving, or what sort of adventure they're headed out on.

With hope and gratitude,