We have all had the experience of unexpectedly encountering something beautiful - sunlight glistening on an icy stream, brightly colored flowers or stones, the singing of doves at twilight. These surprise and delight us because there is no apparent reason for their presence, they just seem to be gifts.
There are actions like that. On any given day, you can find countless instances of people caring for others, for people they don't even know, and from whom they expect nothing.Some of these actions are spontaneous, done instantly without thinking. Some are dramatic individual acts of heroism. But most receive little attention. They are performed routinely and consistently by people who make a conscious choice to do them. These people are volunteers.
The decision to serve as a volunteer is one of the strongest possible expressions of individual freedom. We are used to understanding an action as a means to an end, explained by its reward. But ask a volunteer why she serves and you will generally get answers such as "I don't know," "I just want to," or "I enjoy doing this in my spare time," which often turns out to be those few hours not committed to work or family.
Volunteer service encompasses a broad variety of tasks, but they are almost never exciting or glamorous. Answering phones, stuffing envelopes and raising money are all necessary to provide the human services of nonprofit agencies. Individual service may consist of shoveling snow, reading aloud, feeding or bathing the seriously ill or providing relief to their family members.
The nature of most volunteer service seems to range from boring, mundane jobs to those which are difficult and physically or emotionally exhausting. But no matter what the service is, something magical inevitably happens. Even though particular tasks may be tedious or unpleasant, volunteer service has the overall effect of making the volunteer stronger, more confident and deeply happy.
There is great dignity in such freely chosen acts of caring for its own sake. These are the unexpected gifts of volunteers to the world. And volunteers, like sunlight glistening on an icy stream, are delightful and beautiful and radiant.
Douglas Wright
Salt Lake City