Over 500 hours of giving to our community (and my 900th post)

Tonight, as I was snuggling with Squink as I was trying to get him to fall asleep I was thinking about my day and how I had taken him with me to yet another board meeting... which got me to thinking about how many board or committee meetings he had attended with me since he was born... after all, I am still struck with how he learned to crawl while at a board meeting for Release The Fear when they were held at Trinity Cathedral dashing in a shockingly fast military crawl out the door and down a hallway on the second floor of the church (something that was always a mixed tale due in part to the Presbyterian in me thinking it was a strange turn of events because the Episcopalians were too much like Catholics and the Catholic in me thinking the Episcopalians were too much like Baptists)...

So, as Squink's breathing slowed down to at sleeping cadence I began the math. At a minimum Josef has attended over 256 meetings with me since he was born, at an average 2 hours per meeting, that means Squink has provided at least 512 hours of community service since he was born.

You may argue that he was not actively participating, especially when he was pre-verbal... but the thing is that Squink and I have these conversations about giving back, and he understand why mom takes him to these meetings with her and what it means for where he lives (both locally and globally). T

o me, modeling the behavior of donating my time to the world I live in has been one of the most challenging things I have done. Challenging in very many ways. It often surprises me that so many people think it is wrong of me to include him on these ventures (though I suspect it is mainly because they are uncomfortable around children rather than having any valid objection of a child's' presence especially since Squink is surprisingly well behaved at these things). It has also been challenging to parenting, having to coach him through homework assignments is and can be challenging when he find the assignment especially boring or difficult.

I would not trade this for a moment; talking to him about places like homeless shelters, shelters, community programs, and so on has been one of the vital pieces of information I have wanted to transmit to him.

I delight when I understand that he "gets it".

So, I celebrate knowing that my little one has spent over 500 hours of their life helping to give back to their community... may the giving back never stop.

NaBloPoMo 20

Also, according to Blogger this is my 900th post (if you include all the drafts I have never publicly published).