Nebraska City has many wonderful programs that benefit both adults and children. Last fall I decided to participate in one of these, and am confidant that I made a good choice.
I signed up to be a TeamMates mentor, agreeing to meet weekly with a fourth grader at Hayward after school. After only a few months of “meetings,” I have learned more than I anticipated.
First, kids are resilient. They can be hit with a wide range of circumstances that are beyond their control, radical changes like moving to a new town, transferring to a new school, experiencing a drastic change in living arrangements. They deal with it. I hope I am half as flexible and can embrace change half as much as some of these kids.
Second, kids are fun to hang out with. Having nieces, I was already well aware of this fact, but my experience in TeamMates has confirmed that kids are easy to talk to, fun and interesting, qualities that we all look for in a friend.
Kids keep things simple. They enjoy activities like running, being outside, making up a story or eating. We could all benefit from taking the time to enjoy basic activities as if they are a gift and not just a thing on our “to do” list.
Kids are accepting. The students in TeamMates don’t get to choose who their mentor will be. But the student I was matched with befriended me as if she had. It feels good to be accepted without condition. I hope I make her feel accepted as well.
Kids are some of the best teachers. In only a short time, I have already been introduced to a variety of computer programs that I didn’t know existed. Elementary kids these days are learning skills that I was taught in high school.
Spending time with my TeamMate has also taught me that it’s okay to step back and take things a little less seriously from time to time. Rather than seeming like a great effort, our Monday afternoon sessions are a welcome break from the stresses of work, deadlines and life in general.
Being in the program has also taught me to recognize and appreciate the mentors in my life now and in the past. People who take an interest in what I am doing and care about whether I succeed or fail. One cannot have too many people like that in their life.
So I urge anyone considering becoming a mentor to go ahead and do it. Everyone involved with the program, from the coordinator to school personnel, make being a mentor one of the easiest volunteer opportunities you will ever come across.
And if you take the time to form a real relationship with the person you’re mentoring, it will also be one of the most rewarding.
