Terry McCarthy Hosts a Day of Recollection for the Students at FFS
By Jake H.
“We are all asleep…,” said Terry McCarthy, in the first meeting on The Day of Recollection. The day is just what its title says: it was a day to recollect, a day to elaborate on thoughts, to recollect memories, and to recollect your program.
The day was comprised of a series of lectures by Terry about life in the real world. He explained how a strong program was the foundation to success after The Family Foundation School. He said, “without a program, your diploma is nothing!”
He proceeded by going through the steps and breaking them down and analyzing them individually. He helped the graduates connect the steps to real life and shared his experiences with them.
“I initially had a bad attitude about having to go,” said Marc E., “but once I started to listen I got a lot out of it.” It seemed like a lot of kids had the same attitude toward the day both before and after. Marc continued, “The things he said about resentments helped me the most. I have always had trouble with resentments and what Terry said really helped clear things up for me.” Terry had said, “All resentments are lies because they are based on the lie that it is okay or right to be mad.”
The day acted as an anchor for graduates, who were in their heads about plans for the day after graduation. McCarthy seemed to ground them by reminding them of their program. He brought to their attention that they were not cured and still had much work to do on themselves. He gave the impression that leaving the school is like a reintroduction into life and a second chance for a successful life. As he spoke it had a resounding effect on some of the graduates and they left knowing that their life was about to continue rather than start over.
All in all the day was helpful to more than just the graduates. It helped to bring students at the school back to their program as well. For the students that were in self-pity about seeing some of their best friends leave, it helped to give them hope that their day will come eventually. The day also helped graduates obtain the closure needed for leaving what had been their home for possibly the most crucial time in their life.
