You’re going to be seeing a lot of “thank yous” from us for the next few weeks. Your generosity and willingness to help us raise funds for a matching grant from the Colorado Media Project has not only brought about a breath of fiduciary relief, it’s been a mental and emotional balm as well. We’re more determined and committed than ever to continue bringing you the news you need in Rio Blanco County. From the depths of our hearts, we are grateful to you, our readers, subscribers and advertisers. You are the reason we do what we do.
This week is the third installment of COLab’s investigative articles about the state of the mental health system in Colorado. This week focuses specifically on the mental health center tasked to provide care for a 10-county region in Western Colorado, including Rio Blanco. It’s a difficult read. I had to stop and walk away several times… the stories shared are frighteningly similar to the experiences my own family has had with Mind Springs. I don’t believe the boots-on-the-ground care providers at Mind Springs offices are to blame for the troubles outlined in the article. I believe they’re doing the best they can in jobs that are difficult even without layers of bureaucracy and administrative nonsense.
My friend and peer Susan Greene, the author of the series, shared something in her newsletter that stuck with me this week. She was writing about the On Edge series, but her words hit home: “Cynicism has antidotes.” One of those antidotes is action, and the other is gratitude, she wrote. It’s easy to get cynical, and once you’re in that mode, it can be hard to change your tone. Gratitude changes our perspective and thus anchors us to something good, then we’re prepared to take action that won’t be fueled by bitterness, greed or grudges. Actions taken with the right motive and intent tend to produce positive outcomes. And isn’t the Christmas story a perfect example of that?
On that note, here’s wishing you all the very best this Christmas!
By NIKI TURNER – editor@editorht1885.com
