AMH202 student
“We need
more kindness, more compassion, more joy, more laughter. I definitely want to contribute to that.” Ellen DeGeneres said that quote and it is the
motto on how she lives her life. She
brings joy and laughter to people with her humor and appreciates people and the
things that make them unique. She also
finds people from all over the country that do random acts of kindness and then
rewards them so they can do even more wonderful things for others. In 2016, Ellen DeGeneres was awarded the
Presidential Medal of Freedom, which is the highest honor a civilian can
win. The award recognizes those for
extraordinary contributions to world peace or other national interests. She ends her Ellen Show with a simple phrase
of “Be kind to one another.” It seems so
simple, but in reality, it is getting harder for people to remember that on a
daily basis.
The
nightly news has turned into highlights of the day of who is more hateful, people
who are fighting, not working together, not listening and judging people based
on what they look like, who they love, where they came from. A service project that allows people to come
together to help others, especially around the holidays, is a perfect time to
help those that need it the most. Just
one small contribution by many people can add up to a big contribution for
people that truly can use a hand.
My
favorite holiday is Christmas. My mother
always makes a big deal about it with the decorations, wrapped gifts, the
cinnamon brooms that fill the house with the smells of the holidays. One of our
traditions is Christmas pajamas. We
would always open them on Christmas Eve so we could sleep in the new jammies
and then come downstairs to see what Santa brought in the morning. It is a cozy memory and one that I know I
will do for my kids.
There
were many options for the service project, but when I saw the list for the
Veterans Village Holiday party, I knew right away what to do. As soon as I read that they needed a pair of
slippers and new pajamas, I knew that I was going to continue our tradition for
a veteran. It instantly reminded me of
Christmas Eve and I wanted to bring that same cozy, holiday feel to someone
else. Pajamas will never be the big present
for Christmas but if there was a year we did not get them, everyone would be
disappointed and Christmas would not be complete. Luckily we still all get them and my dad is
in his sixties.
There
are so many people that just need someone to care and someone to listen. My mom always says you don’t know what
someone else is going through so you should not judge. Vets groups, homeless shelters, foster kids
are just examples of obvious groups that need help. But today so many people walk around with hidden
illnesses like depression, PTSD, anxiety and you cannot tell by looking at
them. There is no cast, no wheelchair,
no loss of appendage so there is no obvious sign of illness. However, people battle these illnesses alone
as there is a stigma and shame that comes with mental illness that cancer or
diabetes do not. Nearly 19 million
people have depression in the United States, so bringing a little joy and
little laughter to someone is really a gift.
Helping
others in my community started as a babysitting job but became being a big part
of another family. My neighbor has a
10-year-old autistic child that I have known since birth. I am his favorite baby sitter as he trusts me
and we have become very close. A child
with special needs is a greater responsibility than a regular babysitting job
as you never know what kind of day the child is having or what might
occur. It requires extreme focus as
everything is centered on him, his routine and his pace. You cannot cancel when you get a chance to go
out with your friends as that would completely send him in tailspin. There are days I got frustrated but I knew
that I was important to him. His trust
in me is tied to the knowledge that I accept him just the way he is. I still spend time with him although I am
not his babysitter anymore since I am away at school. But we are more than friends – I am part of
his family.
Another
neighbor that also had a son with autism had trouble keeping a babysitter. Since I was recommended to her, I started
playing with her son over the summer and to her relief, I “got” him. I understood his mannerisms or “isms” as I
like to say. She did not have to explain
the outbursts or the lack of socialness, he was fine being himself in my
care. It is so important to me to help
these kids have the voice they need. In
reality, a simple act of kindness like playing cars on the floor, was that mother’s
lifeline last summer.
I came
to college for Political Science as I want to practice law. I want to be the lawyer to fight for those
that have a hard time being heard. I
want to help veterans, kids and people with disabilities. Children and the disabled need an advocate
who can help them through obstacles. The rights of these groups is a tough road
to navigate and I wanted to be the one to help clear the way so daily life
might be easier. In reality, everyone
really just wants to be heard. What
better person to hear someone with a disability, than someone who has walked in
their shoes? I know I am not the best
advocate for myself as it is not something I want people to know, but I have
learned that the only way to be heard is to speak up.
People
wonder if one person can make a difference.
If you think that you can make the difference in one person’s life every
day, then it is going to happen. Since
you don’t know what someone is going through, a simple kind act of kindness can
give them the strength they need to get though the day. Ellen
DeGeneres makes the world better for people every day by her Dory message of
“just keep swimming.”
