I feel that at the busiest season of the school year, it needs to be said that the one word that is seldom used is NO.

I am one of the worst culprits of this. I rarely say no even when it would benefit me to do so. I always have guilt. I feel that if I do something good for others then surely if I were to ever need something surely someone would help me in a time of need.

I am sorry to report that the above thought is not always how it works out. Often times, I am surprised by the fact that people do not reciprocate. There is no hard and fast rule about quid pro quo, but I was always taught to treat people the way I want to be treated. Not everyone was taught the same way.

Our school hosts a celebration called Madrigal. It is a multicourse dinner with a performance from singers, actors, and includes a whole bunch of students acting as servers. It is a beautiful, inclusive event. The school cafeteria is transformed into a feudal hall owned by Lord Robert and Lady Sarah. The whole event is held on a Friday, Saturday, and an earlier performance on Sunday. So, at this point you may be wonder, “Why are we talking about a medieval feast at a high school? Thank you for asking.

While this event is fun, it is very involved. It takes a whole bunch of people including both students and staff, as well as parent volunteers. I have attended this dinner almost every year of my tenure here. About three years ago now I began volunteering to help with the event. I was and am excited to help, but in the thick of things I often question why I do this to myself. It is after school everyday for about two weeks, the three performances , and the clean up. If that isn’t enough, I then volunteer in the kitchen to help prep the gingerbread and the bread pudding. While I enjoy all of this, I get worn out and wish that I hadn’t volunteered. Don’t get me wrong it is fun, but as an introvert, I need time to unwind and , unfortunately, I have classes to teach and my final assignment in my grad class to finish.

To make a long story longer, I often times overextend myself with work to the point where all I want to do in my free time is rest. It takes me a bit to recover from too much peopleing. I am just not the type of person who likes to let other people down. This is the very reason why I don’t say no. I really just like to be helpful and I wish to have people think well of me. I know that at my age it shouldn’t be this way, perhaps, however, I can’t seem to make myself say no.

So , this brings me back to my original thought. I do unto to others with the hope that in my time of need someone will be there to help me out. Call it a personality flaw or just plain crazy, but I assure you that doing good for others, even when it takes your time and energy is worth in the end almost all of the time.

Until next time,

Cat