Volunteer: Doing and using
Jul. 16th, 2007 09:26 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ailbheI regularly use a couple of excellent volunteer, charity services, and I give my time and energy to a few, too. The ones I use are Homestart (Mary who comes to visit, goes to the park with us, drinks tea, etc) and the Breastfeeding Network, who are training me as a supporter for free.
I also give my time to the Breastfeeding Network, and to the True Food Co-op (though that's for perks, not just for free). There are others - the NCT, on and off, and the book club, and various other mother-and-baby things, but those are the two fairly regular ones. I'm glad I've gone over to being a real True Food volunteer; I've been doing tiny bits on and off since before Rob and I got married, but now it's real.
Sometimes I feel that I'm not entitled to the help I get from Mary. It's mainly pussikerlogical help, and I am very grateful for it, but part of me feels terribly guilty for not freeing her up to visit someone who really needs it.
Sometimes I feel guilty for not doing more - most recently, for not even considering going to Faslane - because I have such a safe, comfortable life, and I could, really.
Then I remember how ill I was. A recent weekend away made me seriously weak for well over 24 hours after it was over, because it involved a last-minute change of plans (very high stress for me) and late-evening travelling (very tiring). Missing a day's exercise makes me feeble and depressed. Phone calls sometimes paralyse me.
I need to do less, not more, and to work on allowing myself to feel ok with that.
I also give my time to the Breastfeeding Network, and to the True Food Co-op (though that's for perks, not just for free). There are others - the NCT, on and off, and the book club, and various other mother-and-baby things, but those are the two fairly regular ones. I'm glad I've gone over to being a real True Food volunteer; I've been doing tiny bits on and off since before Rob and I got married, but now it's real.
Sometimes I feel that I'm not entitled to the help I get from Mary. It's mainly pussikerlogical help, and I am very grateful for it, but part of me feels terribly guilty for not freeing her up to visit someone who really needs it.
Sometimes I feel guilty for not doing more - most recently, for not even considering going to Faslane - because I have such a safe, comfortable life, and I could, really.
Then I remember how ill I was. A recent weekend away made me seriously weak for well over 24 hours after it was over, because it involved a last-minute change of plans (very high stress for me) and late-evening travelling (very tiring). Missing a day's exercise makes me feeble and depressed. Phone calls sometimes paralyse me.
I need to do less, not more, and to work on allowing myself to feel ok with that.