Our grandson, Gabriel, has been volunteering in his brother’s class at the suggestion of the teacher. When he first posted on Facebook that he was thinking about doing it, I was so excited for him because I know how rewarding doing something like that can be. I hoped he would decide to do it. He did.
I thought about what ‘rewards’ mean to different people. I wondered what he would find rewarding about it as I thought about what I felt I would find rewarding about it. Besides that I love to be in the company of children, I know how rewarding it is to have a share in helping a child build a memory, conquer a fear of doing something, or learn a new task. Gabriel is getting to experience the rewards of what he is doing because he took the leap and did it.
One of Gabriel’s rewards, as he has shared, is seeing the kids’ reactions to receiving and giving. What a wonderful thing to watch how a child reacts to something. He also gets to spend time with his brother in a whole different way. In the various aspects of our lives, we can be rewarded in so many ways – in our family lives, our friendships, our businesses; but we have to be willing to see the rewards. We have to look for the them. Seeing the rewards for our good work can be a great source of joy for us, which can help us to have a happy, thankful disposition. Then we begin to look forward to the reward, and it can become like the dangling carrot – something we pursue.
So, reach out! Think about the ‘rewards’ that can come from certain things, and do it! Set the goals and rewards in front of you.
I’m happy for Gabriel.