I remember just after high school and college, there was a lot of thought about direction, purpose, and identity. What do I want to be, what do I want to do "when I grow up," what are my goals and ambitions. Now that I have achieved many of my academic goals, I have been impacted by the worldview that whatever I am "doing," my purpose is to be a blessing to those around me. It is what God said to Abraham (Genesis 12:2 "...I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing" ESV). It is akin to the movements to "pay it forward" or to practice "random acts of kindness."
Being a blessing may be a long term thing. It may involve developing deep lasting relationships with others, or community projects that are involved and complex. It also may involve something on a smaller scale like paying for the person behind you in the drive through (something I love to do by the way!). We may think about how to be a blessing to our children's teachers, our doctor, our boss, or our city.
I am intrigued by a book (on my summer reading list) called The Art of Neighboring which talks about how to become more connected with the people in our own neighborhood. If the goal of "being a blessing" seems to big for us, we need only look outside our front door, meet our neighbors, and keep in mind our goal to bless.
Sometimes decisions about vacation or staycation get made on the basis of money alone. Maybe the decision should also take into account the temperament and needs of family members as well. Some of us get "filled up" by traveling to beaches, historical places, or rugged terrain. Others get filled up by reading a good book, going miniature golfing, or camping in the backyard. Think about what will be the most filling for you and your family, and plan around that. Remember too that each year may be different! Ask yourself the question--"What does my family need this year? What will our rest time look like?"
If you are planning a staycation, consider some structure, so the time doesn't waste away.
1. Day One: Relaxation
Maybe the first day is one of rest and relaxation. What does it feel like to be pampered? Maybe make a spa day for the ladies/girls with pedicures, naps, and reading a book on the deck? Maybe the boys choose golfing, playing softball, or playing video games.
2. Creation
If you are a creative family, you might want to create on a day or two. This could include things like building a treehouse, trying new recipes/grilling ideas, artwork, redecorating the kids bedroom, or sewing.
These are things I "created" lately that turned out well:
Raw Key Lime Tartlets found at detoxinista.com
and Homemade Lip Balm at ourbestbites.com
3. Friend Day: You might plan a day when you invite families over for a cookout or do something with some of your close friends/neighbors. Decorate the deck, buy sparklers, and watch the sun set!
4. Field Day: You might consider having a sports/field day. Maybe put a tent in the backyard at night.
5. Visit local fun spots and try something new: Check out local venues like bowling, miniature golf, rolling skating, ice skating, or paintball.
6. Movie day: Maybe plan a movie marathon in your house where every person gets to pick a favorite movie. Add popcorn, movie theater candy.
7. You might consider including a day to help the community. Volunteer as a family to help with a local project.
Now is the time of year that parents are thinking about how to keep their kids active, engaged, and learning over the summer. Have you considered getting your kids involved in volunteering opportunities?
Check out volunteermatch.org, a website that matches where you live, what types of activities you would like to engage in, and what opportunities are in your area.
Another interesting site to check out is volunteeringinamerica.gov. This shows the layout of the United States including the demographics of who volunteers (parents are high on the list), what types of volunteering people tend to do most (e.g., fundraising, delivering needed supplies), and what states in the USA top of the list of individuals volunteering in their community.
And how about Volunteers of America. They were formed in 1896 and continue strong today.
According to their website:
Volunteers of America helps more than 2.5 million people in over 400 communities in 46 states and the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico through programs that are staffed by full-time, paid professionals who have adopted this same ideal of service as their full-time mission. However, that does not mean that we do not also depend on an army of modern-day "volunteers" who offer their free time to support our volunteer programs nationwide. In fact, in 2012 nearly 60,000 volunteers devoted more than one million hours to hundreds of Volunteers of America programs and activities nationwide--and we can always use more volunteers!
How have you taught your children to give back to the community?
