Day of Service

Several weeks ago I received a group e-mail from Michelle Obama about the Day of Service. It was asking for Americans to spend Martin Luther King's birthday doing some sort of a service project to help others. I checked out the link and there were a multitude of opportunities in the Denver area. I had a morning client scheduled and Laughter Yoga and a walk with a friend in the afternoon. I was disappointed to not be participating and not enough to rearrange things. I wrote to Meredith, the head of laughter yoga and asked if we could collect donations and give them to the shelter she volunteers at. She wrote back that they were cancelling Laughter Yoga because the church where laughter yoga meets was closed for the holiday. Then my client called to rescedule. My day was cleared enough to call my friend and see if he wanted to do a service project together instead of walking. It turned out he was really busy and it worked for him better to get together next week. It's funny how things get cleared away. I was grateful to get to participate. I chose a community project at D.U. for students and community people to go out and clean up the neighborhood. I had been wanting to spend more time with 20 year olds and this seemed like a good way. I had been wanting to work with more people in their twenties. That's when I started my inner work and I want to give back. I noticed that 32 people had signed up. My picture was that we would all go out to a nearby park and clean it up. I imagined people interacting with each other and that, although doing three hours of clean-up would be hard work, it would be fun.
When I arrived I realized that we were given route maps and sent out with whoever we came with to pick up trash in the surrounding neighborhoods. I knew I would do it and let go of my pictures, and I was disappointed to be going out by myself. I got my gloves, my route map and my two garbage bags. Then I noticed another woman there by herself. I am often shy around strangers. I remembered about "Do the ask." I extended myself and asked if she wanted to team up and do our clean-up together. She did and we had a fun time getting to know each other and trash collecting.
We had both been single parents and were the same age. She was challenged by her relationship with money and we did a Psych-K balance about that right on the sidewalk. She was very receptive and will probably come to laughter yoga. She gave me some good ideas about how to connect with 20 year olds. She has done many service projects over the years. It is such a good feeling to really connect with another human being. I was rewarded for "doing the ask." This experience has opened me to seeking out similar opportunities. I am glad.
Tomorrow is inagural day. Although I know the years ahead will be full of challenges, I am excited and hopeful to have a president and first lady who are the kind of people who value helping others enough to ask millions of people to participate. On top of that they walk their talk and participate themselves. I feel love and respect for both of them. It is such a good feeling to feel so positive about the leadership of this country. The sharp contrast I have felt for the past eight years makes me even more grateful for this new era in my life and in the life of my country. What are your thoughts about the inaguration?