Making a Life Better

I recently learned that two of my friends, Amy and Marilyn, helped make a life better in a big way. For eight weeks, Amy and her family hosted a 16 year-old girl and her mother from the Dominican Republic, while the girl was having heart surgery at Children’s Hospital. This was a huge undertaking on many levels. First, Amy and her family didn’t speak one word of Spanish, and their guests didn’t speak one word of English. But, as Amy said, “we communicated through hugs, laughter and the help of a Spanish-English dictionary.” Additionally, nearly every day, Amy drove from Natick to Boston to be with the patient and her mother. She did their laundry, made sure they were properly fed and added the support they needed in this world so foreign to them. Scene to Framingham High School, where Marilyn, a Spanish teacher, found a tremendous opportunity to teach her class the power of charity and giving, while they practiced their language skills. Marilyn’s classes wrote letters and cards to the girl, describing life as a teen in the U.S. and offering support during this difficult time. The students even raised $120 dollars to buy the girl and her mother a Target gift card, as these people came in January with very few belongings. I could certainly go on and on about the value of helping others. My family and I do a good deal of volunteering at our synagogue and town. This story truly illustrates the intensity and energy of giving, not only for the recipient, but also for the donor. There are endless ways to volunteer your time to help those less fortunate. From Big Brother Big Sister to local charities or fund raisers in your city, you can offer as little or as much time as you are able. For example, I recently learned that the National Down Syndrome Congress will hold its annual convention this year at the Seaport World Trade Center in Boston from July 11 – 13. The Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress has been tasked with finding 300 volunteers. There are a number of opportunities. If you are interested, you can zip a note to msdc@mdsc.org or call 800-644-mdsc. Another great organization is Relay for Life by the American Cancer Society(http://www.relayforlife.org/relay/).

My point? Whatever you do, I promise the rewards come back to you many times over. And enjoy.