Being A Positive Influence

Recently, I volunteered with this program with my school, and it's called Big Brothers Big Sisters. I'm sure most people are familiar with what it is. If you happen to wonder, what is she talking about? I will tell you. If you already know, well, I will still tell you.

Basically, this program was designed so that mentors, also known as the "Big" brother or sister, will be partnered up with troubled children, or children that need a role model or positive influence in their lives. They're called the "Little" because they act like a younger sibling to a mentor. I volunteered in this program a few months ago because I want to try to have some kind of positive influence on a child's life, and help them realize their full potential. (You can read more on this organization here.)

I have a strict schedule of when I go to meet my buddy, and we meet for one hour at a time. We also get a ton of supplies to do crafts, games, and outdoor-sy activities. The people who organized this program are honestly such great people. It's really touching that people would devote their lives to helping with a volunteer organization and care so deeply about their work.

I've met with my Little only three times now, but I can tell that it's going to become a life-changing experience. Working with younger children is awesome, because sometimes we all just need that little piece of innocence in our lives. I mean, who doesn't enjoy flying kites and making (stapling together!) our own headbands? Obviously, I didn't end up wearing my headband, but sometimes I think that it's just the feeling of doing something with a child that they enjoy that makes it worthwhile.

I'm constantly amazed by how much children value your attention. They almost idolize us, and we're just regular high school students. It seems weird, though I kinda remember feeling similarly when I was in grade five. Now that I'm in grade twelve (and strangely, I don't feel that much older) I think I have a better understanding of how to interact with younger people. Not to say that I'm old. I know I'm not. Seventeen is not even an adult. I still have so far to go.

Through this program, I'm learning to be a positive influence in someone's life. Through my little buddy, I am discovering how much just one act of kindness can completely brighten someone's day, and through this experience, I hope to become a better person. I hope to become the person that everyone smiles at in the hallway, because they know that they care about them. Because doing nice things for people just feels so wonderful. Receiving gifts feels good, but deep down, we all know that giving gifts just feels so much better.

And if I can give the gift of my time, encouragement, and support to even one person, I know that I'm doing something right.