When I stop to think about it, I think I have always volunteered. I imagine it started out as some form of behavioural conditioning, nature vs nurture. I was raised by parents who walked the talk. Though they were extremely busy raising their large brood, they always found time and some way to help others. As my Dad often said, "Plop. Is that an apple I hear?" From each volunteering experience I have always walked away with an unanticpated gift; a new skill, a life's lesson, a life long friend...  Every gift is special and a memorial to the joys of giving. The biggest joy came last week.

I am currently working with the local literacy council helping a woman accomplish her dream of getting her GED. She and I are only a few years apart in age, have both lived in the same states, have strong religious beliefs and values, and have raised families. So many similarities. Yet, the primary differences were our families' value of education and the belief that it is attainable for everyone. Little did I know how much I had taken that for granted until working with G. She has taught me as much, if not more, than I have taught her.

We have been working on reading and math for several months now. G is a bright woman, eager to learn and a joy to work with. Her vocabulary arsenal has grown and she is starting to trust that she knows how to solve word problems. Last week she went to the post office for a couple of money orders to pay her bills after cashing her paycheck. She told me how she had $xx in her pocketbook to add to her paycheck so she would have enough money for the two money orders. She placed $60 on the counter and took change out of her pocket. Some of the change fell on the floor and she bent down to pick it up. When she stood up and handed the attendant the change the women told her she still needed to give her the $60. (Yes, sad to say, a true story.)  G didn't argue at that moment, handed over another $60, got her money orders and returned to work. She kept thinking about the incident sure that she had placed the original $60 on the counter and wondering how to prove it. She decided to make a word problem of the situation, checked her math several times and told her boss she had to go back to the Post Office. When she got there, G presented her word problem and her paycheck receipt to the attendant. She then got her $60 back!!

Needless to say, G was so happy that she was able to prove her point by using a word problem. She feels she is that much closer to her GED. I was joyous about the fact that she trusted herself to do the math correctly and used it to defend herself against a bully. Empowerment, it is a beautiful thing!