Almost a year ago, I decided that I needed to get outside myself and my little world. Since I adore animals I figured I would check out the Humane Society. We adopted my Australian Shepherd, Sierra from KHS several years ago. She has brought us many joys so giving back to the place she “came from” seemed a good idea. I also decided that my kids needed to do for others as well-they were becoming way too comfortable in their cushy kid lives.
Still, I had questions about my and my family’s ability to handle potentially difficult situations; sick animals, animals being at the shelter for long periods of time, scared animals, aggressive animals, etc. etc. Would we be able to handle the responsibility of being volunteers? My significant other and I both work full-time and have kids with busy schedules. How would we fit in one more activity? Needless to say, we did fit it in and we don’t regret it at all!
In the beginning, we had to have conversations about the importance of this commitment, not only to the animals, but to ourselves. I feel better when I help others which in turn makes me a better Mother, Worker and Human Being. I feel like I can make a difference in the life of another and by doing so, I grow as a person. One of my favorite bumper stickers says “Action is the Remedy for Despair.” I am determined to live that motto!
The 2 older kids have slowly fallen off the volunteer wagon which I can’t say I am surprised about. We decided to not force them to go because we want them to decide for themselves that volunteerism is important. The only way we can encourage generosity in them is leading by example. My 10 yr old will start volunteering with me this Spring and so far is very excited about the prospect. He has already started with helping me teach Dog-Walking Classes at the shelter.
In a time when so many people are shutting down and feeling like there is no light at the end of the tunnel, I hope that they come to the Humane Society and see all the volunteers and decide to take action for themselves. I recently heard a local Doctor speak on his experiences as part of a Medical Response Team during Hurricane Katrina and more recently, the Earthquake in Haiti. He talked about how in order to thrive in this chaotic world, we have to stop being victims. He explained that we all have the choice to empower ourselves through helping others, through the giving of ourselves.
So if you are one of those people who has come up with excuses as to why you “can’t” volunteer, I challenge you to throw the excuses out the window. Choose to empower yourself, choose to take action, choose to give of yourself and your time, choose to volunteer.
