Awards Ceremony

I've been to an awards ceremony tonight. Although to call it that makes it sound far grander than it actually was. Picture a slightly run down office block in inner city Southampton with a big sheet of paper stuck to the wall acting as a white board and mix'n'match chairs and that's the scene for tonights activities. It was the annual AGM for company I do youth work with. Part of the evening was dedicated to giving awards to young people who have coped well with a tragedy, or overcome an addiction or held down a job for a while, or simply have managed to keep their heads above water and stay alive. Several of them were people I work closely with and felt so proud to see them there recieving their awards. What was special was that they genuinely were so happy and grateful to have recieved them. It was like we had given them a million pounds, not just a piece of paper with their name and a shiny sticker on them. I said before that my life is tough at the moment, but compared to these young people my worries are nothing. I felt pretty guilty to be honest of feeling the way I have been when I know what they've gone through - and are still going through. I know everyone has their cross to bare and it's unique to them. But I can't help thinking I shouldn't be finding mine so hard when compared to the young people I was with tonight.