It takes a village to help a village helping villagers

I volunteered at my kiddos school recently, although not necessarily by choice. It was one of those help or pay for your absence kind of deals, a mixture between doing a good deed and being blackmailed.

Something about my son's school; he goes to a private school which caters to those with autism. It took a while to get in and isn't exactly cheap. So when I realized that there was a volunteer clause of admission to the school, I'll admit that I scoffed a little. Not my finest reaction.

When I arrived with the other myriad of parents avoiding a volun-tried fee, we were given a list of various odd jobs that could be claimed. One of these jobs included painting the staff bathroom. Something about me, I used to paint for a while in a former life before nursing. So, I decided to put those skills to use.

Now, I will not exaggerate when I say their bathroom reminded me of the set from the movie Saw. If you haven't seen it, know that it takes place in a dingy bathroom. It was like every questionable Circle K bathroom you would find in the middle of nowhere, manned by someone you hoped were happy working there at 2 am.

So, I started painting. They didn't really have any color in mind, rather I just used random paint they hoped was enough to cover the walls. There was a wall shelf which had seen better days and a single light bulb in the middle of the ceiling; no shade, no cover. Just a light bulb. This is where my son's teachers went to the bathroom.

I am a nurse. I can appreciate a good bathroom respite. It is the place I can escape my patients for even a few minutes. Whether it was doom scrolling for five minutes or taking a legitimate bowel movement, it was my time. They did not have this. Then it hit me. Despite the tuition, which again, was not cheap, these teachers used every penny to go to the children after everyone was paid their wage, and teachers don't get paid that much.

So I ADDed hard, painted the walls, helped build a new shelf unit, and most importantly replaced that single lightbulb from horror-land with a more "Queer eye" esthetic light. It was fabulous, and worth going to the bathroom for.

It takes a village to help a village. These villagers were helping my wife and I by helping our son. It is only right to help the villagers helping the villagers. I suppose that is the purpose of a village. In this hustling bustling world, where relationships are sometime one sided through a screen or a service, I think it is important to do good things for my son's school not because they are helping my son, but because they chose to help anyone.

Look to see how you can thank someone who helps. Don't do it because they need the appreciation, but because they would never ask for you to give it.

: )