Things are a little awkward in my town whenever a new family moves in. Everyone on the streets seems to know the family, but the family is often confused. It does not have a clue who is, and who is not, a reputable community contact. Getting to know who’s who takes time.
This is my first column in the Western Producer. I feel a similar sense of confusion as I look out over the wide distribution the paper has. I wonder not only who is reading the paper, but how I can put together commentaries that would best serve as many people as possible.
Read Also
Ag in Motion 2025 celebrates agriculture through the generations
Ag in Motion 2025 an event for families to spend quality time together
I hope you will feel free to send questions, queries and concerns, and give me an opportunity to respond directly to your interests.
This is a daily living column. The intent is to explore a wide range of the subject matter all of us confront as we wind our way through our daily responsibilities. I hope that we can talk about personal matters, such as stresses and tensions, personal identities, problem solving, aging or death and dying.
I would like to explore with you those issues that are important to our families. These are difficult times for many households. People wonder about their parental rights and responsibilities, and they would like an opportunity to explore ideas about them. More families are getting separated and divorced than ever before, and many of them are struggling to help their children adjust. Blended families are here to stay, and with them comes a new appreciation for what family life is all about.
Family roles are changing. Mom may have a job and that extra set of hands to pitch in during harvest is not as available for the family now. Everyone in the house has to adjust to the changes in her life.
Our communities are struggling. Everyone knows that life in the country is wholesome, but we also know that our children are being challenged with the ravages of drugs and alcohol that are seen elsewhere. We know that sometimes children bully each other, that they are not as pleasant as they could be, and we would like to deal with that and help them turn it around.
We know that some of our communities are struggling to survive and we need to talk about some of the difficulties that creates for us.
Most of us living in this part of the world appreciate the strength of the interpersonal bonds found in our communities, those neighbourly supports that are there for us when we meet up with difficulties in life. We would like to do what we can to keep the support systems going.
Jacklin Andrews is a family counsellor, living and working in west-central Saskatchewan who has taught social work for two universities. Mail correspondence in care of Western Producer, Box 2500, Saskatoon, Sask., S7K 2C4 or e-mail jandrews@producer.com.
