Every time I think about this story, my eyes tear up. With this reaction, I know my heart and service is being properly directed. I cannot help but think to myself, “You’ve been served.”
In light of Volunteer Appreciation Week last month and the Coon Rapids Senior Center Volunteer Appreciation Event where I was a guest presenter, I cannot help but reflect upon my volunteer experience. When thinking of organizations and people with similar hearts to mine in regards to service, there is one organization and two people that immediately come to mind. First, is the Miss America Organization. Besides being the largest scholarship provider for young women in the world, Miss America is known for her dedication to serving our country. In fact, this notion of service is symbolized as one of the four points of the Miss America crown. The Miss America Organization and its preliminary counterparts represent Style, Scholarship, Success, and most importantly, Service. It is through this commitment to service, that titleholders like me uphold the reputation of the Miss America Organization as being compassionate and dedicated titleholders who are actively involved in the communities we represent. Combined, the next two individuals have shaped my outlook on service more than anyone. Since an early age, the importance of serving others was instilled in me as I grew up with parents devoted to loving and accepting all families in our community. This includes the six neighbor kids who my parents took care of when their mother was deployed. And my brother’s best friends in elementary school, who would stay months at a time at our house and his parents would never come looking for him. Above all, I aspire to uphold these virtues my parents possess and continue the legacy of our family. I aim to be a leader driven to endlessly serve others whether that is through my job, my platform, or as a titleholder. When reflecting upon service, I think back, first, on the lives we have touched. This includes those reached through the Miss America Organization and my parents. I also cannot help but reflect upon the lives that have touched me. As my dog, George, and I walked into Camilia Rose Care Center, a local nursing home, I prepared myself for an ambitious task. On a cold January afternoon, we traveled to the third floor where we would visit our patients who suffered from memory loss, many of whom never responded to our presence. There was an elder woman who adored George. She asked if George could rest in her lap. As the resident continued to talk and pet him, she looked up at me and told me that although she would not remember us by tomorrow our visit nevertheless meant so much to her. Regrettably, this resident did not ever remember that afternoon visit, but I will always treasure this moment as special knowing that we were able to bring a smile to her face and that her life, and mine, was touched in a heartfelt way. Every time I think about this story, my eyes tear up. With this reaction, I know my heart and service is being properly directed. I cannot help but think to myself, “You’ve been served.”
0 Comments
|
AuthorLeah Mau Archives
September 2020
Categories |