Volunteer

I'm not getting a lot of cooking done this week. My cookies are baked, my holiday menu is planned, and I'm excited about the visitors we have coming in this weekend. But this week is also one of my favorite weeks of the year, and an important part of the season for me. It's Taos Feeds Taos week, and I'm working hard to help see that over 1,100 families in my community will have a Christmas dinner. No, it's not a vegan venture. That would be a Christmas Miracle for sure. I feel so fortunate to have the choice to be vegan, and I realize not everyone does. So many people just want something to eat, and I feel it's part of my life's mission to help get them fed. Taos Feeds Taos does an amazing job, and I'm proud to be a part of it (even though I bring my own lunch on the days they're kind enough to feed the volunteers.)

I love volunteer work. I've gone as far away as Ethiopia on volunteer status, and I have to say it doesn't matter where you do it - it always feels good to do good. And I urge you to give it a try for yourself. No doubt you know of someplace in your own town that could use a few extra hands. Maybe you've even said to yourself, I should go volunteer this year. Well do it! You'll love it. And best of all, the love you'll get back is much greater than anything you'll give. Here's my secret - I do this more for me than for anyone else. It makes me feel so embarrassingly good. And when we pour that happy energy out of our very bones, it wanders out and gets on other people and does all kinds of magical energy shifting, and truly does make the world a better place. That's where the real work gets done.

If you don't know where to start, check around locally. A quick web search for "volunteer 'your town'"should turn up all kinds of good stuff. Or plug yourself into this site - Volunteer Match. You might find something that really interests you.

And now, I'm off into a snow storm. Today we have a mountain of food to be moved into 1,100+ boxes so it's ready for people to pick it up tomorrow and Friday. Sure, my back might be tired by the end of the week, but the number of hugs and blessings I'll get will keep me going strong. And then, once my kids get here, I'll get to calm down a little bit and feed my own family. This is what I'm here for. What a wonderful life.