The Friends You Make

When I think about why volunteering brings happiness to my life, a lot of things come up: it's rewarding to give back, it's good to pay it forward, it's nice to be out in the community, you learn a lot, and you get to try new things.  One of the best things about volunteering is that you meet people with common interests and it's a great opportunity to develop a lasting friendship.

Over the years, I'll pulled a lot of my friends into volunteering and I've made new friends.  Here's a shout-out to three of them!  I will do this again because it was fun to think about my friends and how much they mean to me.

Tara -- we met in 1990, which means we've been friends 2/3 of our lives.  My most memorable experience with her is when we "saved" the farmer's market in Virginia Beach.  When we were in high school, the market burned down and there were questions about whether to rebuild it.  Outside of a grocery store in between our neighborhoods, we gathered signatures for a petition and helped save the market.  Fifteen years later, the market is still there and thriving.  Go us!  

Amy -- we met on the board of directors for the Arlington County Fair in 2009 and really bonded by passing out parrot-shaped fliers all along Columbia Pike with our friend Rachel (also on the board and a very nice person!).  We've spent countless hours talking and g-chatting about the fair and occasionally we make room for more interesting topics.  I love working with someone who is so invested in the same thing as me and who is willing to brainstorm at any hour of the day or night.  I look forward to being Amy's friend long in the future when we will return to the fair for some stress-free fun!

Sharon -- I met Sharon when I was volunteering with the Arlington Community Volunteer Network and got to know her much better when I became Chairperson.  She taught me a lot of things about how to lead a group, how to empower others, and how to take calculated risks.  Those of you who have been reading since the start will remember Sharon as the person who is on a road trip combining travel and volunteering this year.  She's really cool and always trying new things, and I'm glad we've been able to stay in touch.  Perhaps some of her spontaneity can rub off on me!

Happy volunteering to each of you -- and may you all make friendships as good as mine! :)