Volunteering as a Subset of Resilience

Volunteering as Subset of Resilience

I have spoken briefly on the benefits of volunteering through grief.  Today I was reminded of the true benefits of volunteering.  As the COVID fog has lifted, I am readily able to continue my Advent Health Volunteer efforts.  Today I was afforded the opportunity to visit three wonderful Hospice patients. 

In my own fog, I forgot how precious life can be  Today I was reassured that life has its bumps and bruises and we usually  manage to get up.  Not necessarily by choice, but because we have to.  The silver lining is what we do when we get up.  We can either dwell on what has gone wrong or focus on how life can be great.  These three ladies showed me that life can be great all over again.  In the midst of terminal illness, they equally had a positive spirit and very pleasant things to say about life.  They appreciated all that life has to offer with both pleasant and tear-filled memories. 

My takeaway is that volunteering is GREAT for the soul.

Specifically:

It’s good for the mind and body

It’s a meaningful way to honor a loved one

It takes your mind off of your own grief

Here is a resource that preaches the benefits of volunteering in grief and subsequently where I obtained the details of how meaningful volunteering can be.  The resource can also help in locating volunteering opportunities.