Putting on a New Pair of Spectacles...

In serving in the kitchen at St. Vincent de Paul’s in San Rafael, I am constantly reminded of the conditions people living in poverty are constrained to on a daily basis, and the further I become involved in serving in the community there, the more I am unable to dismiss their struggle. Early on Thursday mornings when I come into the dining hall, I see diners stooped over bowls of breakfast food, some unwilling to look up, while others peer at me curiously—possibly wondering why I am there. I head to the back of the dining hall towards the kitchen, where I see Luis (who, by his example, teaches me everyday I am in the kitchen how to be patient and full of graciousness), Eddy, and Jin and his two friends from Korea whose smiles radiate kindness, even as they work behind the counter preparing sandwiches.
It is such a blessing to me to be able to get up early to go and work in the kitchen on Thursday mornings. For some reason, it seems as though Thursdays are sweeter because of it, and I find myself thinking of how much I have to be thankful for—how rich I truly am with all the blessings of sweet friendships in my life, the ability to work towards an education at DU, while remembering and appreciating the little things like sunny, sparkling mornings and the gift of eyes to be able to take in this beauty with a free heart at rest and at peace.
I find that in working in the community my perspective on life is broadened, as I find myself not simply thinking about the things that concern only my life, but the lives of others as well, and especially noticing how much I take for granted. Working in the community enables those who serve to think in terms of a larger picture, as many times those (myself included) who are involved primarily in pursuing a career at school focus predominantly on the goal of attaining a degree. In addition, serving in the community builds wonderful relationships with people from many different backgrounds. It is not limited to a cross-section of people with the same goal of education, but it includes people who are there for many different reasons, with a diverse scope of backgrounds.
I conclude, then, by wholeheartedly echoing Gandhi’s statement: “I cannot imagine anything nobler or more national than that for, say, one hour in the day we should all do the labor the poor must do, and thus identify ourselves with them and through them, with all mankind. I cannot imagine better worship of God than that in His name I should labor for the poor even as they do” (Fischer 193). Only when we are sincerely willing to live like those we wish to serve are we able to create lasting change.