Steps to Volunteering

Actually, there are no steps to volunteering, but I remember how I achieved it when I volunteered at the Monastery.

I took two different classes at the Monastery and felt so peaceful while learning more about myself and my spirituality.

The Lectio Divinia class, taught by Sister Meg from Beech Grove, Indiana, was inspiring and educational.

It was at this class that the chair next to me was occupied by Sister Karen Sames, who eventually helped in my decision to volunteer. 

I loved everything about the Benedictine Monastery and wanted to be a part of the workings of the day-to-day living. 

I talked to Sister Karen about whether I could find something I knew and volunteer to pass that on. 

We came to the conclusion that with my experience at teaching fitness classes, she suggested I spend time in the health care unit with the nuns, in place of the exercise DVD they had been watching each morning after breakfast. 

I was not available every day but could commit to Wednesday mornings. 

The class started out with three participants and eventually more nuns joined the three. 

It was so much fun, and laughing was part of our exercising. 

We used light hand weights, exercise bands, and our own arms and legs as a resistance force. 

the four and a half years I taught the class flew by, and I still think about the many friends I made with those nuns who came to my class. 

By becoming a volunteer, one never knows what lies ahead and how rich the time becomes in ways we did not expect.