It’s Week 7 of 8 Weeks of Appreciation! It’s become a tradition at Platinum PR—Places Reimagined to dedicate the 8 weeks leading up to the New Year to acts of kindness or service to our community. It’s our way of spreading more cheer, positivity, and goodwill in the world!
This week, our writer Meg led the team in activities that affirm young people. Here’s Meg:
If you’re an adult over the age of 25, it’s tempting to tee up advice with the opener, “When I was your age.” The reality is, if you’re not their age, you may not understand the stressors experienced by younger generations. As a 40-something Gen-Xer (a generation once characterized as disaffected), I know what it feels like to be misunderstood (and I have the grunge CDs to prove it). Now that I’m a full-fledged adult, I realize that I know so Iittle about walking in a young person’s shoes. With this in mind, I asked the PPR team to create gestures of appreciation for young people who’d love a lift. Here are a few highlights:
Delighting a Daughter
For the last five years, Sandy, our CEO and Founder, has created an "Advent calendar" for her college-age daughter, Tabitha. For the 25 days leading up to Christmas, Sandy gives Tabitha a different gift to open each day. Every year, Sandy’s thoughtful mix of self-care activities and treats bring Tabitha joy.
Baking the Blues Away
My son, Max, is 13. He has the braces and the occasional mood swings to back it up. One afternoon, when his anxiety was high and my joy was low, we baked the blues away. Quality time baking and decorating worked wonders! We worked through big worries over gumdrops and buttercream, and we both felt much better.
Bonding with a Brother
Sophie, our Director of Operations, surprised her brother with a Starbucks gift card. Fresh out of college, Sophie’s brother lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico and is about to move back to Maine to start his new career in video-game programming. Taking time to pause amid the excitement and anticipation was a fantastic way to spend quality time together and fill their cups (pun-intended!).
Empowering an Intern
Celine, a recent PPR intern, is knee-deep in the job search. Luckily, her talents and internship experiences position her for success. Knowing that an extra set of eyes on a resume can support the job search, I offered to evaluate Celine’s resume and edited it for impact. Simple tweaks prioritized her strongest skills and conveyed the scope of her experience. It was an easy way to help a colleague get her start. Fingers crossed that the job offers follow!
One of the best things we can do during the holidays (and every day) is let the people we care about know that they’re well supported. A cross-generational gesture of gratitude can brighten someone’s day; try it and see for yourself!
We’d love to hear how this week’s newsletter inspired you to affirm a young person in your life. Message us to share!
Reimagining Places With You,
Meg and the Platinum PR Team
