WHY ANNA SPADY CARES
Why do I Volunteer? Because my Christmas presents sucked. Copious amounts of candy, cake and comestibles; dozens of bright and shiny objects with your name on them; Christmas is the pinnacle of glory for a child.
Your parents tell you, “It’s better to give than to receive,” but no kid buys it. We sit waiting impatiently under the tree, shaking presents, desperate for Christmas morning to come. But then, something happens. You get older, fatter, pickier, and slowly Christmas loses some of it’s glittery magic. It becomes an exchange of amazon gift cards, Old Navy sweaters and shaking packages to look for return receipts.
Why do I volunteer? There are many responses I give, none of which are accurate.
- Because it helps people.
- Because people need my help.
- Because I follow Jesus, and Jesus gave, and I should too.
- Because I should.
- Because it’s the “right thing” to do.
- Because I want to be that “kind of person.”
But if I’m really honest, none of those reasons are why I actually volunteer. The real reason? Crappy Christmas presents. As adulthood sets in, two things happen to Christmas:
- It becomes increasingly anti-climatic and yet ironically more stressful.
- Presents become increasingly boring and generic. Starbucks gift card anyone?
What I have deduced from this, in my great age and infinite wisdom, is that if giving doesn’t start off as being more fun, it definitely becomes more fun. It’s cheesy, it’s cliché, and it’s true.
Now, I get all my kicks from scheming and stalking around hunting for the prefect present. Christmas finds me with my ears perked like a German Shepherd’s, waiting for my friends and family to mention their hearts’ desires. Receiving increasingly becomes an afterthought, though if you do feel like giving me a gift, please see my Etsy wish list here.
But truth be told, my Christmases are still as selfish as ever. I’ve just learned that giving is more fun. And since Christmas is only one day a year, I’ve turned to volunteering as my outlet for the other 364 days.
I volunteer simply because it makes me happy. I volunteer because it gives me joy. Because I’ve learned giving, makes you richer.
Join the wealth. Join the movement.