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Wednesday, August 05, 2009

Make A Difference

This summer we insisted our teenage daughter do something worthy for the community. Rather than lounge all day at the community pool, or spend the day on the computer, we helped her answer a newspaper ad that ran in our local paper. Leah decided to volunteer at the riding stable where they helped physically disabled children learn to ride horses.

Although she seemed a bit nervous the first day, she soon got into the routine of her daily chores. She cleaned up after horses, and helped disabled children ride ponies. She came home dirty, tired, and very thoughtful. One day I asked her how her job was, expecting to hear the worst. She said it was such an amazing thing to see children of 4 or 5 years old who could barely walk get on a horse and ride it. She said at one point, she felt as if she would cry. The happiness in their faces when they looked at her for helping them do it was something that couldn't be taught in any book or on the Internet. It also made her realize how lucky she was to have some simple things – like being able to walk and do the things she wants to do without physical or mental restrictions. She learned so many valuable lessons in just one day of hard work. It may be an old cliche,but hard work builds character and we gain so much more of ourselves when we give to others. Doing the right thing makes us feel good.

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