Let's Serve!

Original Post: 7/30/12

This past weekend I went to Perkins School of the Blind with the youth from Revolution 143 as a part of their annual missions trip. We volunteered with kids that were either fully or partially blind and/or deaf. They also had some other form of disability. This was a eye opening experience for me. We spent about 8 hours doing activities with the kids but it didn’t take me long to realize that you have to have a whole other level of patience to deal with these kids. At the end of the day I was mentally and physically drained. I have a friend (who is also my accountability partner) who is a Teaching Assistant at this school and is getting her Masters of Education for Special Education. What I did for 8 hours, is what she does 40 hours a week….5 days…all year. I can’t even begin to imagine what she goes through mentally and physically because it’s not easy. You have to be a special type of individual with never ending patience to want to pursue a career in Special Education. I’ve always appreciated and respected what she has done but this experience has made me appreciate her on a whole other level.

One thing that I noticed about these kids was how full of joy and happiness they were. Being around them you couldn’t help but smile…all the time. There are so many things that we complain about everyday but at the end of the day we all have the activity of our limbs, we don’t have disabilities of any kind. When I think of it in that way it kind of makes the things in my life that I may complain about seem…silly. We need to adapt the joy of these children. Joy that is so contagious that people around you can’t help but be in a good mood and be happy around you. Think of the many blessings that you have. Whatever you are going through..it could be worst, so let’s be happy that it isn’t.

Another thing that I noticed was the fact our group were one of the few younger AFRICAN AMERICAN groups there. It makes me sad to think that a lot of the volunteering events that I attend, I don’t see many black people there. We need to do better with giving back and serving our communities. We sit and complain about the things happening or not happening around us yet we are the least likely to get up, get out and start doing some community service (I’m including myself here because I’m guilty of this too). We need to be a culture and community that is passionate about service, giving back and supporting each other especially with those that are trying to establish businesses.

Let’s get out and serve!

xo

-Tasha