The past few years, I haven't done a lot of volunteering, with a new business to start and run, and two young sons (and a husband who travels a lot for work.) Finally this year, I'm feeling like my kids are older (10 and 5), and it's easier to get around and help. And I'm so glad I am.
I'm president of my local chapter of the EGA, and two Saturdays ago four of us went through and improved our chapter's library (which probably hadn't been cleaned out for 15 years.) We found books on macrame and some other really interesting 1970s needle crafts which we figure we could do without. What a feeling of accomplishment to make the library usable and manageable again.
I'm also running a newspaper club at my son's school with the 4th and 5th graders. Our first paper (the "Quarterly Blabbedy") came out yesterday, and all of those Wednesday afternoons were worth while to see the look on their faces when they saw their articles in print.
And (yes, AND) I'm chair of the Nativity School Carnival, which is tomorrow night. Late last year, they were going to cancel this annual event, for lack of a chair ("Mom, you saved the carnival!" Harrison said.) For the past two months, I've been working closely with other parents and the school to plan a slam bang time for us to raise money for the school and to spend time as a community together. (Post-newsletter note: the carnival, along with the raffle and dinner raised over $12,000 and it was reported by some fifth graders that it was the best carnival ever!)
Harrison (my 10-year-old) and I are also in a few short Lenten productions at our church. It's really fun volunteering with my son. The quality time we spend together there really shows in his smile afterwards.
We all have such busy lives now, but I never realized how much MORE I could be doing with my time, and how rewarding it would be to help. Not only that, I'm meeting new people, and making new friends.
I hope you'll make some time this year to volunteer at your church, school, or other local organizations. When I sit down to stitch this winter, I feel very happy about what else these two hands can do.
Happy Valentine's Day, sweeties!
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