Hidden but Seen

Gorgeous. Refreshing. Wonderfully liberating. These adjectives dominated my thoughts as we took a short drive to volunteer at KIPP. The week had just concluded with another great seminar, this time on food and drug reward, and my spirits were high in anticipation of non-academically intensive activities.

            Our duties thus far have been in preparation for the upcoming school year, from helping with bus schedule assignments to organizing the administrative offices. As these tasks were not particularly challenging, I was taken aback by the enthusiasm with which our efforts were met. This then prompted me to wonder at the background workings of a school, and on a grander scale, our daily lives. What other types of backstage activities do we take for granted?

            Whether we consciously acknowledge it or not, we are all products of a complex support system. Our interests were promoted through encouragements, intellect nurtured by healthy competition, confidence instilled with trust. Different threads in a myriad of colors creating distinctive tapestries, the uniqueness of our paths finds commonality in their countless weavers. By recognizing this truth, we can then appropriately express our appreciation and gratitude for the works of their hands.

            Folding shirts, cataloguing them by color and size and observing the establishment of order emphasized that there is no job too minor to perform, no recognition too insignificant to express. For we are simultaneously weaving and being weaved, jointly contributing to the greatest tapestry of all.

August community service hours: 4