Friday, March 18, 2011

3/18/11—Volunteering

Today's Draw: Six of Pentacles from the Templar Tarot. What can you give to or do for others today? Do you have a regular volunteering gig? If not, what keeps you from doing it? And if so, what do you get from it?
 
Off the top of my head, it doesn't seem to matter what deck you use, the Six of Pentacles always has the same meaning. It deals with the exchange of charity or grace, whether you're the giver or the recipient.

We actually had this card not l...ong ago and I talked about how I'll anonymously pick up checks for diners now and again when I go out to eat. Or I'll leave a big tip for my waiter. But money never even needs to be involved. Just telling someone they look nice today can lift your spirits and theirs. It's about developing a practice of grace in your life.

Finding a volunteer opportunity is very hard for me. I want to find something that is fulfilling to me...something I can stick with. I was a literacy tutor for five years and all my students were recovering crack addicts. I chose that because no one else wanted to teach them. It can be heartbreaking. Almost all of my students left the program and went back out on the streets. And because they're anonymous programs, I'm not allowed to know the details...just that they're no longer my students. But every time, my next student would give me the scoop and keep me updated. These women taught me that there are a lot of different kinds of smarts in this world. Theirs was survival. Some of them had decades of living on the streets and getting high. You have to be very resourceful to make that happen.

After a while the disappointment of losing students wore on me and I quit, meaning to go back. I did it five years and haven't returned yet. But after that I started doing tarot for charity, where all the proceeds from my readings go to charity. Right now I'm a member of a group and we present ourselves to different charities and offer to do a fundraiser for free. So they provide their donors and a space. We provide the tarot. And they get 100% of the proceeds. We only do it quarterly, though. So I always have in the back of my mind that I need to choose a volunteer opportunity again. I drive by the recovery center I used to volunteer at often and think about it. And I think about maybe doing something with dogs. But I still haven't found that thing that appeals to me. And I think maybe I should just dive into something. Because giving of yourself can be incredibly healing. It can change your chemistry and, thus, your mood. What's your story?

No comments:

Post a Comment