La-Ti-Da Spa is a great example of how Give Kids the World does an awesome job making even the simplest things feel extraordinary. The very nature of a spa has a lot of therapeutic benefits to a child -- having someone touch your hands or face, sitting quietly and having a one-on-one conversation with someone, getting to feel beautiful. It's made even better by the beautiful decor and soothing spa music. Not to mention, it's the first door on the right once you enter a castle. Magical stuff indeed.
I knew once I had such an amazing time with my first volunteering shift that not every shift would feel so life-changing. Sometimes, I know I will just go in and deliver pizza or help set up an event. And today's shift was fun -- I did a few manicures and make overs, and I painted a girl's face to look like a puppy. It was fun, but it definitely was not the same one-on-one interaction I had on Wednesday night.
However, I'm making it my goal to always leave a volunteer shift with something to take away with me, and this day, it was the volunteers that really inspired me this time. I worked with two girls -- one who, as a high schooler, juggles two sports, two jobs, AP classes, and still comes out on her days off to do multiple shifts at GKTW. Her grandfather has played Santa every Thursday for the past several years -- not letting anything get in the way of his commitment to the organization. The other girl is so dedicated, she makes the 3-hour drive from her home to stay with family for a weekend full of GKTW volunteering. She is transferring to UCF soon, largely to be closer to GKTW.
These girls are so far beyond where I was in my maturity at their ages. They are true examples of the type of selflessness and generosity that lets organizations like GKTW thrive. Talking with them really showed me -- volunteering IS a commitment. It is great to do something when motivation strikes, or during the holidays, or for a school project. But to volunteer like it's your job ... that is an entirely different thing. At that's what I see from a lot of the people at GKTW. And how do they do that, while still finding balance in their "real" jobs -- their school, work, and family lives? Well, I think when you do something that fuels you with so much passion, you actually leave with more energy than you started with. I imagine that they're actually better students, employees, parents, or whatever, because of it.
It all just makes me realize that, if they can do so much, I can, too. This is no different than any other change I've made in my life, after getting past all of the hurdles and excuses as to why I couldn't do something. If I can get my MFA, if I can run a marathon, if I can pay off debt, I can do this, too. Each of those things became possible because I put it in my mind that they were a priority to me. So for all the time that I spent thinking I wasn't making enough money to donate to causes, or didn't have enough time to volunteer, why wasn't I at least donating just a dollar, or giving just an hour? Just like each of those major events in my life, I'm going to treat volunteering as something that is a decision, a change, an active choice in my life -- and I'm going to keep taking small steps until I am addicted to it and couldn't imagine my life any other way!
Want to help Give Kids the World? Please support my fundraising initiatives in the GKTW Gingerbread 5K by visiting my fundraising page here!
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