Serving

"Life's most persistent and urgent question is 'What are you doing for others?'"

-Martin Luther King, Jr.

This past Saturday, I participated as a volunteer at City Year's Serve-a-Thon. Our team (go AAC!) was sent to Nathan Hale Elementary school in Roxbury to spruce up and brighten their outdoor facilities. We immediately got to work: taping + painting the crosswalk, the "Emerald Path to Success," and fun games for the playground. I remember thinking how much of a difference the new, bright green pathway will bring to the children. Granted, it's just a pathway that will be stepped all over on but compared to the dull forest green that was there before, I think the children will notice the new color and appreciate the fun vibe it brings to their school. The pathway itself took ... all day. It was a pretty big feat since the pathway was full of many annoying little cracks that had to be filled in after the first coat (VERY tedious process!). But it was a success. Other things we finished for Nathan Hale: repainting the gate, re-doing the crosswalk, painting four-square and hopscotch near the playground, painting a square for wall ball, painting the U.S. map mural behind the school, building/painting benches, and gardening/mulching. Overall, it was a very productive day full of great teamwork. I was really happy seeing all the beautiful results and in knowing that it would bring joy to the students and staff.

Serving others is one of the most significant things I have learned from my parents and from my upbringing within church. Who knows if my heart would have been molded the same way if it weren't for those two factors, but I do know that philanthropy and helping others isn't just limited to religious beliefs. It is one of the few things that brings the human race together with positive results. It brings all sorts of people together - the children, the elderly, people representing different ethnicities, the sick, the healthy, the rich, and the poor. It is probably the one thing that I do not doubt in this world, and it is something that will always keep me grounded. It is almost unfair to say that I usually end up "gaining more" than I give, but it is true. Knowing that I am serving others since I am capable of doing so brings me great ease and satisfaction. Of course, there are limitless possibilities in serving others and I love the fact that people get creative and shape it according to their skills, talents, and resources. As long as a helping and selfless heart is going towards serving others, I think it's all good. SO... To end this cheesy mess of an unintentional lecture, What are you doing for others?