Teaching our son about service.......

     One of the lessons we try to impart on our son is service to others. For years we have raised guide dog puppies for Guide Dogs of America (2 dogs, almost three years). We trained a hospital therapy dog, we participate in local charities. When we do these things we try to talk to our son about the reasons behind our actions, how giving just a little of ourselves can make a larger impact on society as a whole.

     The hardest part of service is explaining the benefits in the way a five year old can understand. Service isn't like making a purchase. You don't hand over cash and receive a tangible item in return. The gifts we receive are of the conscience, a mere feeling of good. How does one explain that, when we hand over a beloved puppy to GDA, we are receiving in turn a gift of gratitude? Gratitude is hard to hold, much as a puppy's presence is quite easily felt.


     Then I realize that by showing our son the work we do, talking to him about giving to charity and skipping out on a movie or two, he already feels the benefits. When he wakes up every day (and he does) and says, "today is the best day ever," I realize that his spiritual self is already well developed. While he may not exactly understand the correlation between service and emotional reward, he is feeling the rewards within his life, within his soul. We hope to inspire our son to be generous with his friends, generous with his time and to know that sometimes the greatest gifts are never held within your hands but within you heart.