Today will be a bittersweet day for me. I have $1,000.00 Canadian dollars to go on a shopping spree for the rest of the toys that will be given to the children in our area who may not otherwise have had a present to open on Christmas morning. This is the third year I have been at the helm of our toy drive and it has grown significantly each year.
I am sad to say I have not volunteered as much as I should have over the years. Back in the stone ages when I was in high school, we were not required to have volunteer hours as part of the curriculum. We studied, we tried not to fall asleep in class and, if all went well, we graduated and moved on to college or university.
But this toy drive has sparked something in me. It has kindled a need to use my able body and mind to spend some of my free hours helping others. I have just filled out my application and submitted it to a local cause to see if I will be approved to become a part of their volunteer team.
With luck, I hope to have a positive response. And when they ask who is able to come and help, I will raise my hand and be one of the people at the front of the line.
polysyllabic profundities 
If only I could give this more than one like . . . bravo!
Thank you so much!
Kudos to you for volunteering. We all know we should, but few of us take the time to do so. Best of luck with it!
Thanks Carrie!
Yay for you, Susan! It’s a great feeling to help others. Good luck with your application. 🙂
Thanks so much Jill. 🙂
A real live Santa! I love this post, Merry Christmas. 🙂 G-uno
It’s so fun! And Merry Christmas to you as well. 🙂
My husband served jury duty last week. He brought home a brochure for CASA, where volunteers can act as Court Appointed Special Advocates for kids caught in the court system. I’d actually begun the application process up in Oregon before I moved back to LA some years ago. Seeing the brochure made me realize how much I miss volunteering, and how that’s one “obligation” I would like to return to my life as I try to clear up others for easier breathing. 🙂
Aw, that’s so great. Good for you. It will certainly make a difference to those kids. 🙂
Don’t regret not doing more earlier. Focus that energy into doing more now.
Very good point…..thanks! At least now I’m doing it for the right reasons.
Well done to you, Susan! Best of luck 😀
Thank you!!
We can’t change what we did or didn’t do in the past- what matters is what we do now and tomorrow. I tell myself this often because throughout the year I’ve been taking a brutally honest look at me and I’m striving to be more tuned into others’ needs. I’ve been pretty selfish and insulated and it’s not good.
I have done the toy drive for three years now and each year feels like more of a reward. 🙂
You have the true spirit of the holiday. Well done, my friend.
Thanks Mike. It is very rewarding.