The Reason

I had a life changing moment this week. A truly, satisfying moment. I don't even know if I can explain it. But this moment reminded me of why I do what I do, and is something to remind myself of when I'm having a stressful day or feeling unappreciated.

I'm the school MCEA Secretary (our form of a PTA), and I volunteer A LOT! My volunteer hat is a one I wear quite often. Often during big events at the school, or mostly leading up to those events, life can get pretty stressful. Not stressful to the point you want to quit, but sometimes a little more then most can handle. Juggling 3 kids, working full time, and managing to keep my house somewhat manageable is enough, add on all the extra stuff I take on, and it can be overwhelming at times. A few weeks ago, I planned the landscaping for the front of the school, and organized a work party to get it all planted. So I don't just volunteer, I volunteer BIG!

This week, I was in charge of the Book Fair, at my daughters school. It was the first book fair in our newly remodeled school library! It was in a central location, and not hidden away like the old library, and we did AWESOME! (We made over $3000, which computes to $1500 for the school for education materials from Scholastic). Anyway I was lucky, that this fair was successful. When I did the book fair before, I didn't work, so I could devote the time to it. Being a full time working mom, made it a lot of work to schedule it all, orchestrate it, and have it be successful. But with a great group of volunteers, I was able to pull it off. My wonderful moment came at the end of the fair, and it reminded me why I do what I do.

Earlier in the week, a young boy from our school had come in to the BookFair with his family in the evening. This boy is someone I see all the time, but don't get to interact with. I've only heard him say a few words, but have seen his emotions many times. The night I saw him with his mother visiting us, was the most I'd ever interacted with him. (Aside from the last book fair I did) He really likes the I SPY books. He was amazed by the posters on the wall, one in particular, a dinosaur. He really wanted the poster. I mean, he REALLY wanted the poster. The posters (in my opinion) are ridiculously over priced. Mom didn't buy it for him. He left the library, and he wasn't very happy about it. He came back in to the book fair later in the week with his teacher, and again, I watched him get excited at the "HORSE"...

Each day, we drew a name to raffle off one of the posters. The last day came and I was packing up the bookfair with a friend. I told him I'd be right back, and I took the dinosaur poster down and walked it to the his class room, and told the teacher I had the poster for him. She got him for me, and told him someone had something for him. When he saw that poster, his eyes lit up, and a smile so big graced his face. He kept calling it a horse, but then would "rawr" at the poster. He wouldn't stop "rawr-ing"!! Chills went through me at the site of his happiness and I really saw the difference I am capable of making.

I can't explain this moment in words. There are no words. I know that there were other people in the room that saw and understood the emotion I was feeling, and the emotion he was feeling. The poster is hung up in his room at school, and all this week it has been the highlight of his day when he gets there. His teacher has reassured me that it was the best moment he's had in a while, and the difference it makes in him. It was a totally self less moment, but made me feel so satisfied at the same time, to know that I made a difference.

Thinking about it brings a smile to my face, and it's a memory, I'm not soon to forget.