A person of service is someone who commits themselves selflessly to a larger purpose or to another person without any expectations of anything in return. Being of service has become so rare these days. I mean really, what would it take to donate some time to another person or to a purpose, making this world a better place to live in? This is something I have always felt led to be a part of as it feels so good to give back to others without any gain. I remember one time when I was a teenager I was staying in an RV at a campground with my mother. It was a cold and rainy day.  We noticed a man who appeared to be living out of his car as it was packed full of his things; so much so that there was no room for him. We were watching him through the window as he pulled out a tarp. At this point, all I was thinking about was eating dinner, and how horrible it would be to set up a tent in the rain. As we sat there finishing up eating, I glanced out the window once more to see how he was doing; only to see that he was trying to sleep under the park bench at the campsite. We were stunned that all that was protecting him was a blue tarp and a single sleeping bag. We snapped into gear and realized that we could help this man in need. We had three extra tents in the lower compartment of the RV. I jumped outside to search for one of them, getting soaked in a matter of minutes. I hurried over to his campsite and saw the water racing by him as he laid there on the wet ground. I offered him the tent and he shot up with a great big smile. You would’ve thought I gave him a million dollars. As I sat there with him in the rain setting up the tent, he was full of gratitude. Another part of this story is that we were also homeless and didn’t have much to give, but we still had something that helped someone in need.

I tell you this story, not for the recognition, but to show you that even when you’re struggling you can still be of service to others. And you know what? It was those little things that gave my mom and I the strength to keep going and pushing through adversity in good spirits. There were several times through the 3-years of being homeless that helping others helped us get through the tough times. In my addiction, I lost the value of service in my life. Now that I have almost 1-year of sobriety I have a plan to help others who struggle with addiction. I don’t have much, but that doesn’t matter, I can still help and I’ve dedicated my life to doing so.