Uplift and Mentor: The Youth need us

My niece, currently studying international affairs at her dream school, raved to me about one of her professors for the past half hour. To hear her accolades and admiration for him made me so happy. We all deserve to have those mentors and role models in our lives, and I am so grateful she is experiencing it.
I have also been fortunate in my life for many role models in medicine and creative writing. From the staff doctors who taught me Anesthesiology to the authors who shared the writing craft, I lucked out time and time again.
Now, as a physician and author myself, it still surprises me to be someone's mentor, but I accept the position with honor and gratitude. In these unprecedented trying times, I realize how invaluable mentorship is.
Young people today have so many factors to contend with my generation never did. We didn't have climate change or pandemics; our politics weren't a daily barrage of insults and anger. We didn't have Twitter or Facebook or any social media pressure whatsoever. Remote learning meant taking a bus to school, not staring at a screen for hours at a time.
The youth need their elders to be compassionate and understanding, as well as brave. We must listen to their fears and hopefully uplift them. We must take action on climate change to ensure the safety of future generations. We must combat racial injustice. We must mentor with the three Cs: Consult, Counsel, and Cheer today's youth. They need us, and we need them.
How do you become a mentor? Mentees are everywhere. They could be a junior co-worker, a neighbor, your child or niece's friends, or a stranger you meet via an organization such as @YouthBuildUSA. Be open to teaching, give of your time and experience, and the gratitude will come back in spades.