This I Believe

? WHY ARE WE HERE?

“If we are not here to help each other, why are we here?” I think I was six when that

question was first posed to me by a loving father. I don’t think a day goes by that I don’t “hear”

that phrase when I awaken. Dad has been dead for sixty years, but his amazing attitude toward

life, his giving spirit, and the impact he made on others lingers on. As for me, it shaped my life.

It was depression time. To my innocent eyes, everyone seemed to be hungry. Dad put his

“motto” into action. His garden multiplied tenfold. His small orchard seemed to know that it

needed to be plentiful to help him carry out his mission – to help feed the people around him. I

will never forget the small square baskets full of fruits and vegetables placed on the curb in front

of our house. Each one had a note in it. “If you would like help in planting a garden, please let

me know.” And let him know, they did. The vision of him walking down the street with his

shovel and pitchfork in tow is forever etched in my mind.

With his gentle teaching and persuasion, we became a “volunteering family.” My mother,

four siblings and I shopped for the elderly, babysat for working parents, tutored local children,

shelved books at the library, and monitored at local playgrounds, among many other efforts to

help make our community a better place for everyone.

Today, I always make sure I have some type of volunteer work. Also, I write books about

volunteerism – one 1,200 volume for libraries, and a series of children’s books. My siblings “bowl

for kids,” make visitations to the homebound, raise funds for local needs and, in general, step

forward to help supplement tight community budgets by volunteering wherever they are needed.

I wouldn’t trade the pleasure I get out of helping my community for anything in the world.

Do I do it to get a “thank you?” No. In many cases, the troubled or downtrodden person

one is helping wants to forget the suffering when it is over. This often necessitates “forgetting”

the volunteer who witnessed him or her in such a vulnerable position as well. The satisfaction

comes from within – a feeling of accomplishment and increased self-esteem.

Try it! You’ll like it! This, I believe!