Parachute games! Photo: Wendy Sender
Unconditional kindness
Charlotte Lake reflects on being a daily volunteer with the 0-2 age group at YMG
Prior to Yearly Meeting Gathering 2011, the letter arrived asking if I would volunteer on the children’s programme. Without giving it too much thought, I responded to the internal prompt – ‘if you can you should’ – and replied in the affirmative.
In all the newness and excitement of the first days at Canterbury, I began to regret my decision to volunteer. What was I thinking!?
Begrudgingly, I arrived at the first session. Appreciatively, I left. It had felt like a cracking success: the staff were all very, very nice to me. I met some new people and two little beings trusted me enough to fall asleep in my care.
The second day was not as easy, but no less rewarding. As I rocked and rocked a little chap having difficulties surrendering to sleep, I reflected. Now that our children are twelve and nine, I had forgotten this chapter of my life. I assumed only with my own children, would I know what to do or feel that overflow of tenderness…
Yet there I was, compelled to kiss the top of the soft little stranger’s head, catapulted back in time while very much rooted in a reality that holds taboo any acts of unconditional kindness toward children.
