Every once in a while, it’s good to get a dose of reality.
In fact, in addition weekly massages, I believe that reality should be prescribed in low doses and given every week. In case you’ve forgotten, I believe the world would be a better place if 1) Everyone got a weekly massage and 2) Women ruled the world. Speaking of which, I am using my coveted gift certificate and getting a massage next week, and I will probably be a far better person for it afterwards; I will be more tolerant of Earth Shoes, I’m sure of it!
On Wednesday night, I attended the orientation for the local food pantry. To volunteer, you must attend the hour-long orientation session and fill out the prerequisite forms. When I arrived, I met the Office Manager and she waved me into a small room, which was the pantry’s kitchen area. When I entered, five potential volunteers looked up at me from the table, looked back down, and then went back to filling out their prerequisite forms.
The first thing that struck me upon taking a seat at the table and after grabbing a pen was the sign tacked up on one of the cupboard doors. It said, “What happens here, stays here. Please respect the confidentiality of our clients.” I realized then that I was in uncharted territory, and most days of the week, I had no reason to whine.
After we all filled out our forms, the Office Manager gave us a history of the pantry. It was started in 1982 by two women in a neighborhood. They realized that the very families they waved to as they drove down the street were skipping meals because they couldn’t make ends meet.
These woman had no funds and relied on donations from others. In their first year, they fed 50 families. Today, the pantry feeds 500 families a month from the surrounding six towns.
After she finished, I asked myself, “And, you think spending time with your kids, while being paid to do so by the State of Massachusetts, is a hard thing to deal with?” It was definitely a dose of reality for me. Sometimes you think things are miserable for you, but truly there is always someone who is far worse off.
The Office Manager then told us she was going to take us on a tour. She pointed out the waiting room, the office where families came to apply for assistance, the toy room, which was filled to the brim at Christmas but now only housed a few bookcases of toys for birthday presents, the clothing room, and finally the “supermarket.” I kept thinking how worried I was about my unemployment benefits running out and here were families worrying about how they would eat from week-to-week.
It is certainly easy to take things for granted. Of all the things in my life I thought I might have to live without, I never thought food would be one of them. Or, that I might not be able to open the doors of Kohl’s and instead would be hoping I could find a pair of pants that would fit Iz among the 10 available pairs in the corner of one small room.
My overwhelming impression of the pantry staff was what a wonderful job they did, yet at the same time, I couldn’t help but think it must be such a difficult job to do. When the Office Manager spoke about the room in which families first came to discuss their needs, she pointed out how it was intentional that the room overlooked the lovely pond behind the building. It was a small but loving attempt to give a family that had just lost a job or even a job and a home, a bit of serenity if only for a few moments; she then got a bit choked up and added, “There many times I have cried, and it is truly bittersweet.”
At that point, I realized how fortunate I was, even though I had felt most unfortunate lately. That’s not to say that I couldn’t feel down about my situation. But, I realized right then that my true fortune was not in a job, though some day it might be nice to have one; it was helping others through their misfortune, and I was most fortunate because I had always known I could open the doors of Hannaford and walk out with whatever I wanted.
I haven’t got my first assignment yet, but no matter how busy my life may get in the future, I will continue to volunteer as much as I can. Actually, I think it will be a welcome dose reality for me on a weekly basis, especially if I continue to remained unemployed. Unfortunately, sometimes it’s easier to think about what you don’t have then to see and appreciate what you do have. Today, if you realize how much you have, then please think about making dinner for someone else tonight. ♥
Dear Devoted Readers Note: Yesterday, due to my previously scheduled life (a job phone interview, lunch with a friend, a 25-mile bike ride, grocery shopping, the manufacturing of Iz's school lunch, unloading the dishwasher, making Iz dinner, putting Iz in the tub, getting Iz to sleep, making my dinner, and then having to craft a wizard's hat out of Iz's old witch hat and make a cloak out of a black towel for Magical Day at school today, yes, seriously!), there was no blog. And, aren't you relieved to find out I'm not dead by the side of the road?! Anyway, by the time I got all that done, it was 10pm; every once in a while, life gets in the way of blog. But, thanks for missing me! ♥ And, thanks, WF, as always. ♥
No comments:
Post a Comment