Give to Receive I just returned from a fun and fulfilling week in Washington, D.C. attending the annual meeting of the American Association of Women Dentists (www.aawd.org).  I have been a member since I graduated from dental school in the mid 1970’s and it is the only organization that I have consistently maintained my membership in over the years. We exist to enrich and nurture the diverse lives of women dentists. I have been both an active member and a silent one, usually dependent on the needs of my children and my practice, but my love for the organization has never waned.  AAWD also has a charitable arm, the Smiles for Success Foundation (www.smilesforsuccess.org). SFS was established in 1995 to offer cost-free dental care to women graduates of accredited job readiness programs, or other community–based agencies.  SFS volunteers provide a boost to women needing treatment as they move from welfare to work. I have heard from many people that they are too busy to belong to an organization, or that they are stuck in their own problems so how could they possibly help others, or they wonder what is in it for them.  There is no denying that life is chaotic when you are raising a family and pursuing a career or when you are dealing with personal issues. You must decide for yourself when the time is right, if ever, to give back. When you do decide to go for it, you will reap the rewards.  As Andrew Carnegie said, “No man can become rich without himself enriching others.” Volunteering and giving of yourself will add to your richness because you can: • be there to care and make a difference in someone’s life.  I gave my SFS patient a new smile and she gave me hugs, flowers, and a smile on my face. • learn and develop skills.  Take advantage of the opportunity to stretch yourself and grow in your volunteer efforts.  Stretch further by volunteering in an arena where you have no experience.  Learn and help at the same time. • meet new people and make new friends.  Get yourself out there! • feel needed and valued.  There are others who are counting on you and who appreciate your service. • build your self-esteem and self-confidence.  Volunteering gives you an opportunity to shine in your own way. • gain work experience in a variety of fields and perhaps one will lead you to your dream career. • make networking contacts.  You never know when someone you volunteer with can open other doors for you to enrich your life. • express your gratitude for the help you received in the past by volunteering for that very same organization that came to your aid. • create more balance in your life.  In his essay, “God’s Fingerprints on the Soul”, Rabbi Harold Kushner said “When I talk to people who feel this emptiness and lack of fulfillment, I recommend they find a source of balance in their lives.  I suggest they find a way to ‘give back’ to the world in order to feel a sense of completeness.” • get out of your own rut and “poor me” syndrome and help someone less fortunate. Have you ever felt really down and then gotten involved in helping others and found you forgot all your own troubles?  Booker T. Washington said, “If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else.” • be grateful for the richness you do have in your life that you are slow to acknowledge sometimes. • just plain feel good! Think about it, how are you adding to the richness of your life?

Being a Volunteer — A Noble Profession "I was a ‘thousand points of light’ long before volunteerism lighted up the sky and had an official name. I had my lights short-circuited, burned at both ends and occasionally punched out. I hang in there because generally volunteerism is a dazzling galaxy of gems that streak across the sky and illuminate the world when it falters and cannot find its way. I was thinking the other day that Americans are intrigued by royalty. Americans have never felt the need for a hierarchy who live in castles and get paid for waving and going to funerals, but I would like to propose a royal family for this country who would have no political power but would symbolize what we are all about and set the tone for our nation. . .the Royal Family of Volunteers. You cannot be born to this royal family. You must earn your way through the ranks. Congress will not appropriate a salary for your efforts. You won't even have your own principality, especially if you volunteer you medical services to travel down the Amazon River on your vacation to tend to the needs of children in Brazil. The perks of royalty, which usually add up to yachts, box seats, parades and state dinners, may translate to long hours, tired sandwiches, costs, rejection, cold coffee, and screaming kids. Royalty as a rule is recognizable. The Royal Family of Volunteers are nameless, faceless and forgettable. They are often taken for granted, and only a fraction of them are recognized for their talents. So how do you know you're royalty? Ah. . .it's the crown jewels that give you away-that sparkling tiara of smiles you have given and tears you have shared, and the rich legacy of caring."   Erma Bombeck

My volunteer efforts started when I was a teenager. I would don my red and white uniform, put my hat on, and walk to the local hospital where I was a candy striper.  I remember working on the maternity floor bringing juice to the new moms (that’s important work, new moms get thirsty!).  For whatever reasons, I chose not to be a nurse and went to dental school instead.  Before I had children I volunteered with AAWD, served on their board, and was instrumental in forming a community of women dentists in St. Louis (women were few at that time). As children came and turned our lives upside down our group faded and then I found myself volunteering with the Junior League of Greater Alton, IL.  Those were fun times which gave me the opportunity to meet with like minded women once a month and work on projects that gave back to the community. It was also nice to leave the kids with John for an evening that was all mine.  I also met women there who have remained friends to this day. Time marched on and my children became priorities so my volunteer efforts were focused more on school activities and less on organized dentistry and community affairs. I look back with a grin on the field trips I went on, the science fairs I participated in, and the lunch meals I helped prepare on Thursdays at my daughter’s school.  I remember all the time and energy that went into helping my son with his Eagle Scout project and all the Boy Scout activities we as a family were involved with. As my children grew older and were into their own activities I found myself spending more time at the office and volunteering took a back seat. I knew it would be just a matter of time before I was called to serve again. My involvement with AAWD over the last few years has brought me a sense of belonging, a new community of friends, opportunities, and growth.   I now serve as Vice President of the Smiles for Success Foundation and am on the board of AAWD.  In Washington, DC I was elected to be the new Secretary for AAWD in 2006 and will serve as its President in 2009. I am honored to be in the company of such a diverse group of women and to be entrusted to help lead the organization in the upcoming years. We will continue to enrich and nurture the lives of women dentists and my life will be rich indeed. Erma Bombeck also said, “When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would just have a single bit of talent left, and could say, ‘I used everything you gave me’.” What talents have you volunteered lately?