mlk day of service - 01192026
I have a lot of experience volunteering, not just through efforts of my own accord but by the encouragement of my parents. Growing up, I watched my dad take calls from his firehouse pager that sat a top our families entertainment system. I became accustomed to hearing the beeps and blips of company jargon, codes that were slightly foreign to me but a language my father knew without fault. Static doesn’t startle me like it does for other people and I will still catch myself signing off from conversation with a “10-4” or asking for a “10-20”, if the opportunity strikes. My mother, on the other hand, found herself volunteering in the soil and curbs of our little village through what was known as the “Ladies Auxiliary Company Beautification Project”. Annual plantings, trash pick ups, bake sales; you name it, I’ve probably done it alongside my mother and sisters in an effort to keep community alive.
Although my mother and father are long past their consistently frequent volunteer days, I’ve found myself picking up the slack toward making the world a better place if I can. After all, I’m a parent now and good habits start at home. Ted is no stranger to my efforts, as many weekday walks through Brookland Park ended up with trash bags full and memories shared. Abundance in harvest from my little urban plot meant spreading the love to community fridges with fresh veggies or containers of leftovers from the night before. My boy was nearly always with me to make these donations, pulling his wagon after awhile from restless feet.
Teddy and Nova, best of friends
Weekend summers spent with LERN in the Northside Nursery greenhouse meant Ted had a safe place to go that wasn’t like traditional kid-friendly spaces. There’s no slide or swings but he can run through the aisles of plants, so long as he watches his feet for stray hose lying about. When the rain comes, undoubtedly during the days when I’m there to water plants anyway, Ted will find shelter in the overturned trough, now used to mix soil for donated trees there to fix urban hot spots around Richmond. Teddy also found a good friend in Nova, the tiny Pomeranian/Chihuahua mix that my volunteer lead Stacy would bring along on our volunteer days. Nothing like a boy and a dog to keep each other entertained on hot summer days.
Ted, my baby bear, he has always been such a kind soul. The fire in his heart rages like mine does; a Sagittarius sun, Libra moon, Virgo rising makes him the ultimate leader toward justice. As a toddler, he would stop in his tracks on the playground and listen intently for the child he heard crying: he may not know what they needed but Ted knew he wanted to make them feel better. With innate kindness and love, I knew I had to foster those traits any way I could.
So, he comes along when I’m there for the community, even if he doesn’t always lend a helping hand. I know he sees me, being the best person I can be for myself and others, and that is truly a prize by itself. Today, though, I was so proud of him for being part of something bigger than who he knows he is. We may not live in Richmond anymore, and it breaks my heart that my boy won’t be part of the urban setting right now, but I will stay connected to the River City any way I can. I’m still waiting on the big group photos that were taken from this day but for now, I’ve got my own pieces to hang on to.
A friend we met on our clean up path
