Throw Something Back

"I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands. You need to be able to throw something back." - Maya Angelou

My mother believed that giving back was an essential part of mortality. She tried to convince me of this at a time when I was quite emotionally wounded, so I told her I felt no such obligation. I have come to eat those bitter words many times in the years since I spoke them to my very disappointed mother. She called me "Kathleen" when I frustrated or disappointed her, which was regularly. (That her expectations were pretty high is beside the point.)

I get paid to work with a population of adults with learning disabilities. That is my profession. But it is more than that: it is my calling. I have been blessed with the opportunity to serve daily, to administer to the needs of the less fortunate, and to pour a balm of love and understanding on their wounded spirits. It is my joy and pleasure. It is my way of throwing something back. Thank you, Dr. Angelou, for reminding me of my mother's admonition. I love you both!