The Present of Presence

I've never had the luxury of being the model School Volunteer. Why? Lack of Devotion? Lack of Desire? Lack of Dedication? No. No. No. It has something to do with my three-year-old pulling all the teacher's books off the bookshelf or the baby in the stroller that the Kindergarten Girls insist on swarming and touching. Yup, I'm a Mom. And most of the time when I volunteer it is a family affair.

But with my boys I've realized that it isn't the Quality of Volunteering or even the Quantity, it is the mere effort of presence. They love seeing me at their school. They love the little hand symbol of "I Love You" or the extra special smile or wink in their direction. It isn't that I'm an amazing reading specialist or can grade papers extra fast. It is that I am there. . . just there.

I've been a Monday regular for Reading (in my more ambitious days), the Flouride Swish Lady, the BookOrder Orderer, and Field Trip Driver. I try to eat lunch with them a couple times a year and attend their special in-school openhouses showcasing projects, and their quarterly awards assemblies. It doesn't matter what Volunteer Hat I'm wearing the sparkle in that little boy's eyes when I walk through the classroom door melts my heart every time making me realize that sometimes the greatest present is presence.