Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Wow!  This time last year we here at the Office of Behavioral Health were busy developing and revising plans for the merging of OAD and OMH.  It seems like so long ago and so recent at the same time.  We have lost some very good friends to layoffs this year and a few others have gone on to do different things.  Yet we who remain are finding opportunities to make new friends and new collaborations while we march on with the transformation of our OBH system.  This has been a stressful year and there have been and continue to be so many new things that are being asked of us and often we have very little explanation as to why they are needed or what they are to accomplish.  I generally like to know why I am doing a thing, don’t you?  But the truth is that we never really know what to expect.  Our lives can change in a minute which is why we do well to have a solid foundation as to our value system and in whom we have our trust - Jesus, the real reason for this season.

This is a great time of the year to connect with those things that really matter and look forward to the new year with expectation and planned effort to make a difference and to survive and overcome whatever may come.  As issues arise and they will, don't be surprised - just make adjustments!  You know that “flexibility” is a sign of good mental health, right!  Let’s all just try to keep things in perspective (no matter the changes we face) and take it one day at a time.  Let's persevere and commit ourselves to our own "recovery" (a wellness approach to life that balances family, work, recreation, creative pursuits, etc. with our spiritual focus holding it all together and providinig meaning).  I look forward to a New Year and the opportunities it will bring.  May we discover the blessings that are waiting for us in it.

If there is anything I can do to assist you, please let me know.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!