Volunteering... Thoughts, Ideas, and Positive Stories

Hello, I started volunteering at 7 cups for about 2 weeks. Since I had my own personal story on a couple forums let me just give a summary of the present. I have been my mother's caretaker for about 6 years now. She has been battling cancer since 2009. When I needed someeone to talk to about what recently has been going on with her, I didn't want to seek a therapist. So i was browsing and found this place. At first a few listeners weren't listening, so I thought of how many people felt the same way. So I joined as both member and listener. I can tell you that listening to so many people with similiar or different situations makes you realize that there always need to be someone who has an ear to listen. It's bad enough when you in a relationship that it doesn't happen, so this is a way of me telling anyone that, if your a listener, please listen. We are not being paid for it and even if we were, people aren't paychecks or your bored and pretend to listen. Because the outcome in life is, you'll be on the recieving end.

I have been a recovering addict for 15 years. I consider July 21, 1999as my 2nd Birthday, it's my anniversary date from ot relapsing back into drugs. I helped my mom raise my younger siblings and I was 21, just shy of the 2 year recovery period, while on meth because I had to be in a Methadone Treatment Program for my drug abuse. So imagine if you will, my younger siblings are twins, so raising babies while my mom worked, on meth, keeping a tidy home, walking a dog, changing cars on different alternate side days, picking up your brother from high school and picking up your mom at work; and in between, laundry, cooking meals, preparing medications my twins baby siblings had to take (which right now is for life).

I had a lot on my plate or so I thought, I gave another shot of going back to school, Got My A.A. in Human Services and GED at the same time, Went to trainings and became certified in HIV Counseling, Facilitator, Dealing with ADHD kids, HIPPA, Microsoft Office Specilist (2014) and Medical Assistant (2015). I continue to educate myself not because I'm bored, because we all need to educate ourselves for the unthinkable. I research so much about my mother's type of cancer that I have given some thought to get back into school and become a specialist in either Bartter's Syndrome or the rare cancer my mom has. But for right now I am stuffed..lol and I'm giving some time to relax while looking for employment.

It's easy to go ahead and study and want to become something important, but it's another where you need $$$ to get you there. I still have enough time to do it, but I want to be financially strong to do it. Most of the trainings I have gone to are free and never took it for granted. Until I gain employment and save money to study more, All I can do is research because everyday there is something new, medicines, technology, treatments options, anything that I can do for someone who find themselves in my mother situation, I could lend an ear, I could sympathize with their child, I can empathize with their parent, I could be that shoulder for them to cry on and tell them they are brave for the journey ahead. With God, Yoga, Meditation, and Nutritional methods anything is possible.

Right now, after 2 years of procrastination a couple months ago I went to shop for a burial plot for my mom. That isn't the best shopping in the world, but I hope anyone who is a parent would take her advice into consideration. My Mother told me this, "I don't want to leave you with so much to think about, better to buy it now, because by the time I go, who knows how much it'll be when I die. This way you udon't have to worry about the burial expense. I'm going to buy my coffin, but if I am unable to pay for the funeral home in full, I know that you have that covered." So she bought a plot for 4 and now I know where I will be buried unless life takes a change of course. I went burial plot shopping with my dad and he was anxious about it, simply because he doesn't have trade of thought like she does. So I took him to where she and I will be buried along with my brothers (again life changes the ball game) and showed him where he would possibly be buried. He looked and saw the masoleum didn't say anything so I'm giving him the weekend to think about it. But I did tell him that I didn't want to go on the train with a empty coffee can and ask the subway riders for money. So maybe it made him think and it's a fair price for a 5 year plan.

You may say I sound comfortable saying all this, but after some thinking I thought, like a carton of milk, we all have an expiration date. The way we plan for our childrens future for college, why can't we plan for our future resting place for all eternity?

My suggestion is to get a life insurance policy and put your spouse and children to receive any monies that they may need for your final expenses or any debt owed. It is better to plan ahead and better safe thensorry. And if you have some money at least $2000, to $5000, put it in a IRA account, it will grow and in the end when you retire or before you retire, it'll be beneficial to pay upfront more of the deposit of a burial plot, the more you pay the less you pay monthly. For example, if a burial plot is worth $13,500 the pre deceased deposit would be 9% rate which equals to $2,700. if you put more than that amount for example $4,000 then it'll be at a 6.7% rate and pay monthly lets say $280.00 a month. Now if you could put $10,000 down, then i'll be around 2% rate paying $101.50.

I've learned a lot from this part of life, death is apart of life, so we shouldn't fear it, we should embrace it. LOL I found myself today visiting my burial plot, because if you think about it, You won't be awake to see the undertakers put you in your last resting place, so I find it good to visit my burial site before I go. It could be 50 years from nowor tomorrow. How many changes do you get to visit yourself in the cemetary?

This is the 3rd day of my volunteering. I absolutely love it! Everyone is so nice here. All the members are amazing and so are the listeners. Even some members seeking help will say to me that I can talk to them about any of my problems. How sweet! Yesterday I applied for being a moderator and I am excited! It took me ages to get everything I needed to even qualify but it's well worth it! I am so happy I'm able to help people! I originally intended to come here to get help but finding the member sign up was a nightmare. I had actually clicked on become a listener to see if it had both options but it didn't. So I continued with it because I wanted to give something back to the community and it's the best decision of my life! I have been through and still going through a lot of problems. There's some things that I haven't been through but I have been through a huge ton of things but that's ok. I use my experiences to help others and to make them feel the way that I really want to right now. Uhh! I love this site! Thank you to all the guests, members and listeners who could make this possible! Thank you!

Hi Luvtorun.

Coming here acts as an inspiration to me to stay connected with people who need an ear to just listen to them, and in turn it gives me pleasure for helping them out and also gives me strength on how to face challenges in my own personal life. I used to make an excuse that i can't go to an NGO to help people out because i don't have anyone to go with, but when i found this website i thought now what excuse would i make? So it was facing my own weaknesses which were coming in the way to help others.

We often make excuses to ourselves to stay out of things we have never tried before, but a child would run only if he knows how to walk, he would walk only when he would crawl or stand on his own legs.

So it's been good Experience.

Thanks