You turn on the radio in the car and the top headline is some gawd awful, horrible news. And you start to wonder if any of the good you're trying to do - for yourself or in how you raise your kids - matters. Every time stuff hits the fan, this thought crosses my mind.
Does volunteering matter in making the world better? The truth is, I don't know. Our family has made "volunteering" a value. We're willing to spend part of our weekend giving back; how does this counteract someone who doesn't share this desire to do good?
Do We Give Up or Give Back?
The onslaught of crappy headlines feels like we're stuck in a "one step forward, two steps back" society. We can never catch a break. Like a turtle, the insanity of it all makes me want to retreat into the safe cocoon of my shell. But what good will this do? And what does that teach my kids?
As a parent, I desperately want to make the world better. Apart from preaching values and ideals, a more impactful model is to volunteer as a family. It gives us something good to do together amidst all the junk out there.
So after absorbing the shock of the latest headlines and allowing myself all the feelings, I revert to my baseline of wanting to do something. And I want to raise kids who fuel their societal grievances into giving back instead of giving up.
Deep inside of you lies a vision for a better world, a world that you will help bring to life. Through the power of your imagination, your belief, your drive and your optimism. Have no doubt, dear ones. A better world awaits us. ~Nell Edgington, social changemaker
Feel Crappy? Make Time to Volunteer
I know that picking up trash at the park won't stop countries from being at war. I realize that bundling diapers isn't going to make our schools safer. And I understand that packing bags of essential items isn't going to solve our unhoused crisis. But, what else are we doing to do? We can either give up because it feels hopeless, or we can give back to feel hopeful.
In the words of Mister Rogers, we need to look for the helpers when crap happens. However, we should also be the helpers! We need to take our anger, sadness and frustration and invest it into something good. We need to choose a constructive kind action to counteract the destructive unkind one made by someone else.
Our kids are living in a society that feels too fast, too scary, too out of control. The one area where we have total control is in how we treat people and how we help. So be a helper today. Counteract the crappy with some good. ♥ tucsonfamilyvolunteers.org/volunteer