The Small Gestures of Serving
Through service, I believe in making others smile. I am not just saying that to look good or set myself on some kind of pedestal. I truly believe in devoting my time to others who need it most, in order to change their day in some way. I want to help put unexpected smiles on the faces of those who perhaps face despair instead of hope. It is easy to take for granted the simplicity of everyday tasks. I want to take these little things I am blessed with everyday and share them with those who go without. I want to combine talents and small gestures to make others believe in the capability of succeeding and pursing anything they dream.
When spending a certain amount of time on a project, hard work and much thought is put into every detail and each small component is obsessed over until made right. Producing the perfect outcome of the project will be achieved in order to make talents shine. That is how I feel about hours put into community service. Sure I may have to reach a certain requirement for a club in which service hours are required, however, my devotion to service started long before becoming a member of any club. To me, the hours put into service is not about reaching a quota. Just like working on a project, I spend my service hours working as hard as I can to produce that ideal outcome: a smile.
Every Wednesday I travel about twenty miles from my home to my favorite “project”. I am a volunteer at a horse stable in which I assist with a Therapeutic Program. I became interested in this kind of service because a friend of mine happens to be one of the patients in the program. For years I have been looking for a way to be apart of her recovery due to her life changing condition. I now find myself every week by her side while she is up in the saddle. I wrap my hand around the stirrup, securing her ankle while giving her words of encouragement or simply sharing a smile. As she glances down at me, she rewards me—she gives me that immaculate outcome—she smiles. In that moment I do not care how many hours I miss out in the summer sun or how many miles it will take me to travel home. I believe in giving myself to others so that they can receive something they might have been missing from their day. Finding that missing piece trumps any time others may see as “wasted”.
Some may think a smile is not that big of a deal. When I was asked what my favorite part about serving others was I simply stated, “Putting a smile on an individual’s face”. The response following sounded something like this: “Oh sure! But it is easy to make someone smile”. That statement is not always true. The patients I work with at the stables have gone through very traumatic experiences. With their disabilities, they are reminded everyday of their constant battle to complete what used to be effortless tasks. One man arrives thirty minutes before his lesson in order to sign in, put on his helmet and mount the horse, a process which should only take about five minutes. So for others, something as simple as a smile may not always take a second to appear. Giving up free time to assist someone in need and having a conversation that they usually go without, will find the smile. Although these gestures may be simple, they are extraordinary to those who receive them. I want to be able to be the giver of these gestures due to how I feel in return. It is indescribable when I am blessed with seeing a smile on a troubled face. It hides any of my over exaggerated problems. The feeling reminds me to be thankful for the life I have been given.
Therefore, I believe in putting others first. I believe in those small gestures that can turn around an individual’s day. It is incredible to think the simple things are those that matter most. So share smiles. Share time. This I believe.
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