Of Service

Uncategorized 2 Minutes

Dear Readers,

As Mr. UT and I were walking yesterday, I knew a poem was coming to me. So I share it here:

I felt it today,

The warmer sunshine, 

The longer lighted skies,

Though winter is not yet over,

Feelings of hope begin to rise.

Actually, this winter has been very kind to us in Minnesota! We usually have many days of sub zero temperatures and/or windchills. This year has been mild for us, so far!

I’ve been reading Think Like A Monk, by Jay Shetty. It has some reminders and nuggets of inspiration to living life with more peace. One of the chapters is on the topic of service, which I know is important to a life of purpose. As I read and watch news stories, I am always amazed at the way some people are doing wonderful things to help other people during the pandemic. One young woman is making warm blankets using the bags from chips! So many people giving time and money to help.

We hear about service in circles of recovery. I understand why it’s important, because if we help make the world a little bit better, we also focus outward, and less on our problems. When we help without wanting anything in return, our happiness increases.

I think of this also because Mr. UT and I are essential caregivers for my 95 year old mother, who is in an assisted living home. We go two or three times a week, to bring her groceries, do a bit of cleaning, take her to doctor appointments, and just sit and chat. We are retired, so we have time to do this for her, to bring a bit of joy to her. While we are there, we wave and say hello to all the other people we meet.

I know when I was teaching full time, I had no time to volunteer, so I looked at how my career was one of service. Whether it was going in on weekends to make my classroom look welcoming, more time for children that needed it, or helping with extra fun after school activities, all of those are service.

I don’t think service needs to be a big thing, little things count too! Picking up trash in the park you walk through, or holding the door open for other people, or giving money to a food shelf. Little things add up.

All I know is this. When I feel depressed and down, if I help someone else, even one little thing, they feel better and so do I.

“To ease another’s heartache is to forget one’s own.” ~Abraham Lincoln

With a Prayer for All Who are Suffering,

On Day 2337,

Wendy

PS – My friend helped my mom meet Bernie! LOL

Published by Untipsyteacher

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13 thoughts on “Of Service”

  3. I also have been enjoying Minneapolis’s mildish winter, the moments when I’m there. (Also enjoying the fact that many coffee shops are open because they have the space to do 50% capacity! So happy.) Thank you for your reminder of the variety of ways to be of service in this world…. will explore some new ones today. Happy Friday!

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  5. Wonderful poem and here in CNY the winter has been nice to us too! Today – tomorrow we are supposed to get some accumulation though. It’s so awesome you and Mr. Ut can help your mom out as much as you do. Many of my clients are the elderly and it can be real sad for some that don’t have involved family. I had one client named Arnold, his wife passed and I ended up helping him out a lot and cooking for him…etc. he even called me on weekend night at 9:30pm to take his temperature as he couldn’t read the thermometer. He had two sons, one lived far away and the other about 1.5 hours. I never could understand why the closer son didn’t visit his dad more. When Arnold passed the son showed up with his wife at my door. He found pictures of me and Arnold ( and my girls ) when cleaning out Arnold’s house and wanted to return them to me. After taking the pictures and thanking him he just stood there and looked at me and said “I think you knew my father better than I did.” I didn’t know what to say. Im thankful for my time with Arnold. He taught me a lot and like you said in return made me feel so good to be able to help him.

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  7. This is a very inspiring post Wendy. We all need to give back. I started writing children’s books recently. I published one on preventing child molestation and another on having grandparents with dementia. I please on donating some to boys and girls clubs and libraries and schools in areas that don’t have a lot of books.
    Your post makes me think I have a lot more giving back to do. It’s just so hard during this pandemic. The nursing homes here only allow one person to visit (the poa). I would love to take my children to nursing homes to visit when things open up again. ❤

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