sLast week, I came down with a terrible illness. Me, who is active from early morning until I lay my head down to sleep at night, was bed-ridden for four days. I would wake up a few hours, just to transcribe my interview data, and take my over-zealous dog for a short walk. The rest of the time I slept. My poor animals, both were worried sick and suffering too. When I started feeling better, I really started reflecting upon gratitude and how it applies to the social work profession. Gratitude overwhelmed me and I felt comforted by this knowledge that I am so very blessed in so many ways. I started thinking about how lucky I am that I was only temporarily ill and that most of the time, I am able to move freely in and out of beautiful outdoor places, stretch gracefully into yoga postures, and swim in infinite spaces. I felt gratitude for being healthy. This feeling of gratitude kept swelling and thoughts about my/our profession came pouring in. How grateful very grateful I am that Jane Addams, Mary Richmond, Julia Lathrop, Grace Abbott, Eglantyne Jebb, and Alice Salomon all pioneered the professionalization of social work during the early 1900s. How very grateful I am, for all people before them, who chose to help others without a formal profession. I am grateful for my profession because we study how to help people and society. We recognize that living is a dynamic process, made more or less challenging by societal circumstances and the systems in which we interact. Unlike the medical model, we do not diagnose a deficit or illness that “exists” within an individual. We empower people to own their strengths and navigate through an ailing and unfair society. We work to make that society better through advocacy. Frances Perkins and Wilbur Cohen, two social workers, helped FDR establish an American welfare system. We set up community centers and programs for those in need. We take limited resources and extend them as far they will go. We love the “outcasts” and then we use the ethics, values, and principles of our profession to reel them in. What other profession specifically concerns itself with the social, emotional, cognitive, and physical well-being of all society's members? Only social work. I am grateful too for my own social work mentors that taught me to be the social worker I am. Every day, I say thanks for Dr. June Gary Hopps, my chair. She is like a walking encyclopedia, but a very beautiful and composed one. I always leave meetings with her learning something new and feeling calmer than when I entered the room. Dr. Hopps not only made me a better writer and scholar, but she made me a better person too. She supports me completely. She also guides me in the right direction and gives me the very best things to read. The thing I love most about her, is this unwavering ability to look for what is beautiful always in others and then telling them. She never forgets to genuinely compliment people and that's a gift; she is a gift. She is one of my most favorite people. Dr. Hopps has also done so much for our profession that I would have to devote a whole book just to her contributions. I think I might actually write that book one day. I thank God for Dr. Hopps almost daily and shame on me when I forget. Honestly it’s a rare occurrence. I am also grateful for my other committee members, Dr. Lowe and Dr. Campbell. Dr. Campbell has that social work ability to gently point out flaws, while also empowering me to be a better scholar at the same time. She was the one that noticed how my low self-esteem was negatively impacting my writing and told me that I needed to be confident enough to write me (Thank you!). She made important distinctions for me about my dissertation that have really resonated with me and helped me clarify my study to others. She also took time out on a Saturday to coach me about how to conduct interviews with participants. I am grateful for Dr. Campbell. I am also grateful for Dr. Lowe, who really pushes me to be better. He is the one that taught me to always look up the stats and the history of whatever I am studying. I spent hours trying to locate statistics on poverty, employment, education, etc. before I first started comps based on his urging. Now I am in the habit of always looking up these stats for varying cities across the United States. He, and Dr. Hopps, also made me well-versed on pioneering African American scholars, like Clark, Billingsley and Hill. I also read the Moynihan Report (I’m not a fan). Thank you Dr. Lowe for making me a better researcher. I am grateful for Dr. Lowe. I am grateful for the existence of the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Social Work, the social worker it made me become, the faculty that taught me, and the friends I made. I am grateful for UGA’s School of Social Work and the community of Athens. I learned so much attending school here from faculty and people in the community. The knowledge I have gained about myself and the world has increased exponentially from my experiences here. Both Pitt and UGA have taught me the importance of giving back to the community and the need for community-oriented research, interventions, care, and consideration. I will publish a book from my dissertation and I am getting a legal document drafted that gives all profits to two NPOs helping youth in this community. I am very grateful for those two NPOs (Strong, Beautiful and Godly Girls/Chess and Community) and all the nonprofits in Athens. I am especially grateful for my employer, Social Empowerment Center, and our director Shelly Hutchinson. Come to think of it, I'm so grateful for my Pittsburgh employers too, I was at YAP Inc. forever. I am grateful for all the social service providers in Pittsburgh too. I so grateful for my vibrant social work communities in Athens and Pittsburgh, and also for those that exist across the world too. I’m grateful for social work too because of our clients. Thinking back through all of my years in practice, I have learned more from the people I was “helping” than I think they learned from me. People, in general are strong. Children and teens are my favorite clients and I can’t tell you how much hope our youth give me. Every time I talk to one of them, I get a new perspective on life. I feel rejuvenated and certain that society is going to get better in their hands. The fact that adults are willing to trust me, even after multiple hardships, makes me grateful. I wish clients didn’t need help or social work services, but that is the nature of society. As a teen participant said to me recently, "everything is yin and yang". We cannot have a wealthy class without categorizing people as living in poverty. It’s all about perspective and that knowledge I gained from clients i what I am most thankful for. They taught me that each individual in society gets to determine what has value; money or what mainstream American deems as worthy doesn’t have to be valued and isn't for me. I just wrote a blog for my students, but they deserve mentioning here too. I am really grateful for all of my students. In closing, I just want to everyone reading to pause and think about “What do you have to be grateful for right now in your lives, right this moment?” and “Why are you grateful for the social work profession?”. I am grateful for so many things, like my pets extra especially and the Pho I’m going to eat with one of the dearest friends I’ve ever had, Pam. I’m extremely grateful for my family and all my friends. Another thing I’m particularly grateful for is the Cathedral of Learning, Schenley Park, Pittsburgh bridges, and home in general. I am grateful for my profession. Most of all, I am grateful to be me.
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