What, give up my precious time? No, and yes. You do give up something, but you gain more. You and your experience are priceless; and at your age (retired, I presume) you are no longer beholding to anybody. This is not really about you, but about what you hold dear, what you want to endure in the world, and what matters most in the big scheme of things. (As in 'our troubles don't amount to a hill of beans..', almost a quote from Casablanca)
Both my husband and I are thrilled at this time to be able to do things that need to be done. He volunteers with the Rotary and with the local Food Bank, and I volunteer in education as an elected official in the local board of education. We budget our time and resources to support each other's interests and efforts.
We have never felt more fulfilled. Every where we go people state their appreciation and support for what we do in our community. Yes, the place we chose to retire to has become home, to have, to hold and to pass on to others better than we found it. In turn, we feel we found heaven, and are glad to contribute to its present and future state.
1 comment:
Those are very "precious hours" I spend at work for my local library - covering books or designing posters and flyers. And the hours spent pointing out the migrating gray whales to tourists are ones we probably wouldn't be willing to do if we were paid. Volunteering is an act of love that gives back in satisfaction far more than a wage in cash.
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