No one was more surprised than I when I somehow found myself the leader of my daughter's troop. It started inconspicuously enough. I volunteered to help out.
Then the co-leader quit and I found myself helping the leader out. I stayed in the background....I suffer from intense shyness. Then it happened. Dire circumstances involving hiding the leader from an abusive husband, helping her escape and I was it. I was tagged. I was the leader. Me.
And you know what? It was the most intense, exciting, fulfilling, and wonderful thing I did. I loved those years and miss it now. I constantly saw leaders and parents come and go....how busy their lives all are, eh? But I held onto that troop and loved those faces looking to me for inspiration. The talks we had and the lessons we learned. Amazing.
Girl Scouts are more than cookies and badges. It is learning honesty, patience, morals, friendship and team spirit. It is sisterhood and being friends with the Earth.
It is a life away from electronics, television and the fast-paced world our girls are in the midst of. We made maracas and ate Mexican food for Cinco de Mayo. We camped under the stars and took field trips to science centers and zoos. We celebrated the sixties and dressed up for Halloween. We learned many cultures and walked in parades. We sat in the cold selling cookies and donated supplies to women's shelters.
And there are always those special girls. The ones that break your heart and you just know you did something to keep them safe and loved. But in the end? You discover that THEY did something for you.
We are all busy. It is a world that just doesn't stop. It doesn't slow down....it races by you so fast. And the only thing you don't want at the end is regrets.
Volunteer for something. Be a Girl Scout leader or help with a troop. You will be amazed at how much fun it is. And.....maybe...you might find that young girl in YOU.
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