[这个贴子最后由小面条在 2007/08/25 11:50pm 第 2 次编辑]
My heart always goes with the setting sun
When it comes to volunteers, people always think highly of their altruism and dedicatory spirits. But they also have regarded “love” and “devotion” as something beyond reach that only some great actions can deserve such a sacred appreciation.
Not until I joined in the Guangzhou Youth Volunteer Association did I realize that these two so called distant words could be so real and shocked! They lied in the hugging that you gave to a little child in the welfare. They hid in the living encouragement that you offered to a sick patience. They shone brightly when you gave an attentive ear to an old man’s narration.
It was on the sodality held by the Guangzhou Youth Volunteer Association that I met KUKI. Although it was the first time I had seen her, we held a short conversation as if we were old friends. Maybe it was due to the kindness that she showed out. I took a picture of her dancing posture with a special guest Uncle Guan. And the warm smile on her face was also deeply impressed in my heart. When I called her deciding to take her as my interviewee (I was about to write an article about volunteers, so I had to interview some people before I set about my work), she even wasn’t aware that she was being interviewed! The reason why she reacted so turned out to be that she regarded what she had done as quite trivial!
The activity KUKI took part in most was to go to the Guang Chuan Elderly Home visiting some old people. She always told us that the old people she met were quite like her own grandma. And she was willing to take care of them just as she was looking after her own relatives, to respect them, to love them with great patience. KUKI told us that she was an introverted girl before she joined in the association. Not only did she want to help others but also to improve herself by being a volunteer. It was in 2004 that she joined in this organization. When she paid a visit to the old people for the very first time, she was not experienced in communicating with them. The only thing she could do was listening to them carefully and smiling. She was bothered by the thought of boring the old people. But to her surprise, they were so delighted to see the volunteers that they became quite talkative! When the visit was over, KUKI was even unwilling to leave! With the accumulation of service time, KUKI was also changing bit by bit, from being introverted to being active, from being wordless to talking with enthusiasm, from listening quietly to telling some interesting things to amuse the old people. Up till now KUKI has established great friendship with the old people. If she doesn’t go to see them for just one week, then she must be surrounded by a lot of caring questions raised by the old people during her next visit. Always KUKI received great happiness because of these lovely old people who cared much about her. Besides, she has learned a great mass of knowledge about communication and morality from them.
The feeling of being needed by others is so wonderful! I was greatly moved by a story told by KUKI. It was a Sunday morning and she went to visit the old people as usual. In an aunt’s room she saw a beautiful vase with a bunch of rotten flowers in it. Out of curiosity, she asked the aunt why she didn’t throw the flowers away. Here came the answer:“ I am so unwilling to abandon them because the moment I see them, there rises an image of your lovely volunteers in my mind.” Immediately KUKI was shocked and she could not help crying. Since then she have forgotten the old people there in no moment. As long as she had time, she would go there to accompany them.She would do a great mass of things, such as chatting with them, listening to theirs events, washing their clothes, and cleaning the house. Sometimes she would also bring them a pot of plants. On the important festivals, she would join in the parties held by the association, to dance and sing with the old people, to share the happy moments together. Besides, she would also organize the old people to take part in the social activities, to help the old people get more involved in the society.
Although joining in the volunteer work had taken much of her spare time, KUKI never got tired of it. She felt that her life was fulfilled. Such is human’s nature to desire to have a good sleep or find a place to relax ourselves. But when you think of the faces of the old people who are waiting for you, you cannot help going to visit them. Actually there is no difference between the volunteers and the other people. By devoting our powers we are just finding another brand new day of life. I have just devoted a little piece of my power, but to regain a great mass of valuable experience. My soul had been watered and growing rapidly. I have learned to be grateful, to treasure the things around me, to care others, to communicate. Besides, I have also got a group of sincere friends, got the love from the old people. This is the true feeling hidden behind every volunteer’s heart. We devote for the sake of love, and we receive a lot of things out of our expectation. In the process of serving others, we lighten our spirits and delight ourselves. Not only have we enlarged our circle of living but also helped ourselves while helping others.
When KUKI was asked about the difficulties she had come across, she said that the problem was that many old people might refuse to communicate out of a lot of reasons, say, the problem in theirs families or their personalities. When you meet such a situation, you have to be patient enough to talk with them, to let them open their mouths. You may also meet some old people who have a large storage of knowledge. In order to communicate with them, you also have to improve yourself. KUKI felt that now the old people were not well enough taken care of. We hoped that the society could focus more on the lives of the old people. We can work hard together to make them enjoy their late years.
The setting sun is so beautiful but it’s such a pity that it is approaching its end. All old people fear loneliness. They all desire care and love. Maybe the volunteers including KUKI regarded what they have done as trivial but in my opinion, what they have done is always shining at the hearts of the old people as a luminous star. As a volunteer, we can only offer a little, but our love is limitless. By showing our sincere love, we get the smiles of the old people! We wish that all the ole people in this society can enjoy their late years with a delight heart, in the company of the love from the society!
Today maybe it’s me that care about the others, tomorrow maybe it’s the others that care about me. Everyone has his old days. Everyone will be looking forward to being cared by others when he gets old. “Please receive my love. I am waiting for your smile. In this society we have to support each other.” Once more I think of this song. This is such a good song that it expresses the true nature of life and the relationship among people. “Come into my eye sight, we are no more strangers. The love shows our enthusiasm.” Living in a society which love permeates all around, we will get more warmth and happiness!
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