Be the Change You Wish to See in the World

This week I have been overcome with a feeling of gratitude twice. The first time was at a cemetery cleanup over the weekend at two of the oldest African American cemeteries in Florida. Sometimes we get a huge group of people coming out, and sometimes it is a much smaller group. This weekend, it was the latter, but it was a group of people not there for volunteer hours, not there for recognition, and not there to receive a thank you. 

These people were there because of their passion for history, for the cemeteries, and for honoring those, who came before them. I walked around the cemetery, taking photos, getting quotes, and exchanging ideas about how we can help the cemeteries. 

Afterward, we all sat around and shared great food made by volunteers from the community, we talked about plants, books, and our vision for the cemeteries. I even met another author, and I met a group of kindred spirits - women who are so passionate about helping others and being great stewards of our earth that I immediately felt drawn to them, their ideas, and their passion.

Last night it happened again. I was in a room full of hundreds of volunteers from across the local school district, and the feeling of being surrounded by so many people giving back without expecting anything in return is something that always touches me. So many people of all ages, giving back to our schools, helping where the funds are lacking, and just wanting to make a difference in someone else's lives.

I didn't grow up volunteering, or even realizing what volunteering was, or what a difference it made in this world. It was not until my children got older that I truly discovered the magic of volunteering. As a family, we dabbled a little with volunteering in little projects, and once the kids graduated from middle school, they would start volunteering at the local library, at food pantries, and such to get their volunteer hours in for graduation, but it was not until my children founded a nature organization that I truly realized what a difference volunteering can make. 

I always made the kids help clean up the ditches around our home, but it felt like we never made a dent, and every day as the kids walked or rode their bikes to school, they would comment on the amount of trash on the street. That's when they sat down and created their own organization. At first, it was just us and a neighbor or two, and then one year, a high school club asked to participate. This is when I truly saw the power of volunteering and I discovered how a few women could make a huge difference in the lives of their students. Since then, the kids have taken on a lot of responsibilities, organizing, promoting, community outreach, getting up in front of groups with as many as 150 volunteers, and sometimes it gets a little overwhelming. But they grow because of it, if they make mistakes they learn from them, and each one of them are finding their own place in this world.

Whenever I see them get up and thank their volunteers, this sense of gratitude always fills me. So many people - all coming to our neighborhood to help clean up the streets. 

At the school district event, one of my sons was honored. He had been named volunteer of the year at his middle school, and he got third place in the school district. We didn't even realize that the school had a volunteer award for students, and when my shy and humble son stood up to receive his ribbon applauded by a room full of school administrators, teachers, and school volunteers, my heart just could not be any fuller. He was so embarrassed and didn't know what to do with himself.

I am not much for awards and such, but at that moment I realized that even though most volunteers volunteer because they want to help in their community or help a cause they are passionate about, awards like these are a great way to reward them.  

Of course, once you start volunteering, and once you start emerging yourself in community projects, there's always another one popping up, or you see a need here or something that needs to be organized, and so the hardest part about volunteering is often having to say no. 

“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”

Mahatma Gandhi

As a woman, it is so easy to get lost when you withdraw from the professional world to take care of children or your parents. At times, this has been true for me as well, but writing my novels and volunteering are the two things that I can see have kept me looking forward. Volunteering in many different ways over the years has given me an opportunity to meet people with inspiring stories, and I often see it as my duty to get their stories into the world. Volunteering has also given me the opportunity to be the change that I wish to see in the world, and in my writing, you will sometimes see a little sprinkle of this belief. Service to others is how I often connect to that young, ambitious, and sometimes naive young girl from my past, the girl who thought she was going to change the world through her writing. Service to others is not selfless in my case, because I truly gain more than I give in so many ways. 

If you're struggling with finding your way in the world, listen to Gandhi's wisdom and "be the change you wish to see in the world." I promise you, as you surround yourself with people dedicating themselves to the service of others, you will find yourself both inspired and connected, and the gratitude you will feel will help you find your way in the world.