Why Volunteering at Meijer Gardens is Important to Me. . .
Okay, yeah, on the face of it, it may seem selfish of me to donate my time and energy to a place that, to many, may not seem like as "worthy" a cause as others that are more political, or humanitarian. There was a time I might have agreed with that. But after having spent considerable time at 'The Gardens' my belief in the validity of the mission there grows stronger every day.
Oh, most definitely there is a selfish element to it. It's fun. So many interesting things happen there and so many fascinating people visit. Then there's the fact that nearly everyone who is there WANTS to be there. Occasionally a guest will visit and you can tell they joined in under pressure from the rest of their group, but chances are just a short time after arrival they'll have changed their mind and will be enjoying themselves along with the rest of us. From time to time staff members might become a bit disillusioned. But for them it's a job and jobs have a way of doing that. For the most part though, nearly everyone guests come in contact with while visiting is a volunteer. We are around 1000 strong and more are joining all the time. And if we didn't want to be there we surely wouldn't be. Most of us are excited about the place and all it represents and love sharing that excitement with others. That's a great atmosphere to be a part of.
Then there are the opportunities and experiences I've been blessed to enjoy and participate in since I started my time there back in April of 2010, as well as the amazing, interesting people I've been blessed to chat with from all over the globe. Too many to count, ranging from assisting with the visit of the King and Queen of the Netherlands to acting as tour guide to groups of wonderful visitors from China, to assisting veterans visiting during a special fund raiser put on by the Detroit Tigers/West Michigan White Caps baseball teams as they met the players in a separate, private room to the honor of welcoming and assisting folks attending the funeral of the founder of the Gardens and area businessman and philanthropist Fred Meijer. Those are some of the extraordinary experiences but the day to day happenings are amazing too. Hosting guests in the Japanese Garden, assisting in the Gift Shop, welcoming and directing guests attending the gardens for special private or corporate events (weddings and such) or member seasonal parties and of course my favorite part of summer, helping out with the Summer Concert Series and all the amazing music I get to experience through that.
Yes, it is admittedly selfish to some extent. It's my fun, my 'break', and probably what keeps me sane while I try to navigate my life and all that it is.
But along with that, I believe in the place and all that it represents. The blending of nature, horticulture, art, music and learning. All things I believe strongly are crucial to human survival and add such beauty and value to our lives and all to often are among the first to go when times get tough or funds are tight. I love all of those things so very much and if something I do or say or my attitude or a little tidbit of knowledge I share helps even one person to love just one of those things a bit more after they've visited us than they did before they arrived then I'll be happy. I've heard people say that Meijer Gardens is just for well-to-do people and that the sponsor section, where I am usually assigned at concerts is all 'rich' people. It's simply NOT the case. People from all walks of life visit us and while many of the seats in the sponsor section ARE purchased by corporations, not all of them are and many of those tickets are given out to general employees or clients of those corporations too. Just regular folks. I've met people who basically had nothing to spare at member holiday parties and they told me that their Christmas gift each year is a family membership so they can visit the Gardens any time they want and they celebrate the holiday at the member party. One of the regulars in the sponsor section is an awesome couple. The tickets are the gift this lovely lady gets to cover every occasion throughout the year and her whole family pitches in to give them to her because she loves the concerts that much. Those are just 2 examples. The Garden is for everyone. There is something there for all to enjoy and those aspects I mentioned at the start of this paragraph will only enhance life for anyone who comes in contact with them and I hope to be there to help spread the joy and enjoyment of those things for as long as I can.
But with all that is going on in my life now, with my hunny's health and such how can I justify that "me time"? Because he knows how much I love it there and that it's important to me and wants me to continue to do so if we're able to make that happen. Plus, if there is one thing I've learned watching other care givers, it's that it is crucial that you take care of yourself too. If something happens to me and I get ill or fall apart mentally/emotionally this whole fragile existence we have will fall apart too. Time at the Garden keeps me grounded, gives me a break and keeps me sane. It recharges my batteries and in that respect I need it. That said, if the time comes that it simply isn't a safe or reasonable thing for me to leave Hunny on his own even for a bit, I wouldn't ever do that. Those I deal with at the Garden know my situation and have given me incredible flexibility when I need it. Another wonderful thing about the place.
So, yes, while I could be working for a political cause, or women's issues or church projects, and I do that as well from time to time as well, I believe that what I am working for is so very important to people's lives and well being too, is no less valid and in some ways even more so. So, if you see me there when you come visit, PLEASE stop and say hello. Ask me questions about the place if you have them. If I don't know the answer, I'll either direct you to someone who does or we'll find out together, but most of all, if you don't think you're "getting it" while you're there, talk to me, or any other volunteer there and ask them what THEY would be sure to see if they were visiting. I'm betting you'll soon see what I, and they see and just maybe you'll have found your "happy place" too.
Oh, most definitely there is a selfish element to it. It's fun. So many interesting things happen there and so many fascinating people visit. Then there's the fact that nearly everyone who is there WANTS to be there. Occasionally a guest will visit and you can tell they joined in under pressure from the rest of their group, but chances are just a short time after arrival they'll have changed their mind and will be enjoying themselves along with the rest of us. From time to time staff members might become a bit disillusioned. But for them it's a job and jobs have a way of doing that. For the most part though, nearly everyone guests come in contact with while visiting is a volunteer. We are around 1000 strong and more are joining all the time. And if we didn't want to be there we surely wouldn't be. Most of us are excited about the place and all it represents and love sharing that excitement with others. That's a great atmosphere to be a part of.
Then there are the opportunities and experiences I've been blessed to enjoy and participate in since I started my time there back in April of 2010, as well as the amazing, interesting people I've been blessed to chat with from all over the globe. Too many to count, ranging from assisting with the visit of the King and Queen of the Netherlands to acting as tour guide to groups of wonderful visitors from China, to assisting veterans visiting during a special fund raiser put on by the Detroit Tigers/West Michigan White Caps baseball teams as they met the players in a separate, private room to the honor of welcoming and assisting folks attending the funeral of the founder of the Gardens and area businessman and philanthropist Fred Meijer. Those are some of the extraordinary experiences but the day to day happenings are amazing too. Hosting guests in the Japanese Garden, assisting in the Gift Shop, welcoming and directing guests attending the gardens for special private or corporate events (weddings and such) or member seasonal parties and of course my favorite part of summer, helping out with the Summer Concert Series and all the amazing music I get to experience through that.
Yes, it is admittedly selfish to some extent. It's my fun, my 'break', and probably what keeps me sane while I try to navigate my life and all that it is.
But along with that, I believe in the place and all that it represents. The blending of nature, horticulture, art, music and learning. All things I believe strongly are crucial to human survival and add such beauty and value to our lives and all to often are among the first to go when times get tough or funds are tight. I love all of those things so very much and if something I do or say or my attitude or a little tidbit of knowledge I share helps even one person to love just one of those things a bit more after they've visited us than they did before they arrived then I'll be happy. I've heard people say that Meijer Gardens is just for well-to-do people and that the sponsor section, where I am usually assigned at concerts is all 'rich' people. It's simply NOT the case. People from all walks of life visit us and while many of the seats in the sponsor section ARE purchased by corporations, not all of them are and many of those tickets are given out to general employees or clients of those corporations too. Just regular folks. I've met people who basically had nothing to spare at member holiday parties and they told me that their Christmas gift each year is a family membership so they can visit the Gardens any time they want and they celebrate the holiday at the member party. One of the regulars in the sponsor section is an awesome couple. The tickets are the gift this lovely lady gets to cover every occasion throughout the year and her whole family pitches in to give them to her because she loves the concerts that much. Those are just 2 examples. The Garden is for everyone. There is something there for all to enjoy and those aspects I mentioned at the start of this paragraph will only enhance life for anyone who comes in contact with them and I hope to be there to help spread the joy and enjoyment of those things for as long as I can.
But with all that is going on in my life now, with my hunny's health and such how can I justify that "me time"? Because he knows how much I love it there and that it's important to me and wants me to continue to do so if we're able to make that happen. Plus, if there is one thing I've learned watching other care givers, it's that it is crucial that you take care of yourself too. If something happens to me and I get ill or fall apart mentally/emotionally this whole fragile existence we have will fall apart too. Time at the Garden keeps me grounded, gives me a break and keeps me sane. It recharges my batteries and in that respect I need it. That said, if the time comes that it simply isn't a safe or reasonable thing for me to leave Hunny on his own even for a bit, I wouldn't ever do that. Those I deal with at the Garden know my situation and have given me incredible flexibility when I need it. Another wonderful thing about the place.
So, yes, while I could be working for a political cause, or women's issues or church projects, and I do that as well from time to time as well, I believe that what I am working for is so very important to people's lives and well being too, is no less valid and in some ways even more so. So, if you see me there when you come visit, PLEASE stop and say hello. Ask me questions about the place if you have them. If I don't know the answer, I'll either direct you to someone who does or we'll find out together, but most of all, if you don't think you're "getting it" while you're there, talk to me, or any other volunteer there and ask them what THEY would be sure to see if they were visiting. I'm betting you'll soon see what I, and they see and just maybe you'll have found your "happy place" too.
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