Service

As I explore my values, I recognize more and more how important service is for me. I am a very privileged person who has so much more than so many people. Being of service to others is important to me. And I do this not for external recognition, but for my own internal reasons. Recognizing this has helped me manage my expectations on the PTA front, and I feel a lot better about the time and energy I put into those projects. This is a good thing, because the spring carnival is in one month which means we’re officially in crunch time. I’m going to be spending a lot of time on it, but that’s okay because being of service is important to me.

It doesn’t hurt that a few staff from my daughter’s school have reached out to tell us how thankful they are to have a PTA that puts on events and supports their school. It really can be challenging to teach at a school with very little parent involvement and so many socio-economically disadvantaged students. These teachers are fighting against a system that has set them, and their students, up to fail. Many schools like my daughter’s have no PTA and no school-wide events. We provide something that teaches can feel good about at their school, and the ones who recognize that and communicate their appreciation definitely help remind me that the service I am providing is actually worth while. As long as I am confident my efforts are making a difference, I am okay with the doing the work.

It’s funny how a change in perspective about something can totally transform the experience.