October 29, 2009

To be a Big or Not to be?

The Little and I have been matched for almost a year now. That's the commitment you make when signing up for the program, one year. This poses the question, do I want to continue to be her Big? Last night I was weighing my pros and cons with Sir Sunderland (who remained un-biased the whole time).
Cons
  • I only get 2 days a week off to be with my husband, the rest are spent at Starbucks until 9pm. One of those evenings are spent with the Little
  • It costs money
  • It is a constant source of stress, trying to figure out ideas for what we are going to do
  • There really isn't a community surrounding Big Brother's and Big Sisters. I get a monthly email in my inbox and that's it
  • There is no way to measure what difference I am making in her life
Pros
  • Taking her to a Safe Halloween night dressed as a witch, getting her face painted, watching her bounce in the bounce house and get candy
  • Her saying "Hey! Did you know we've been together for almost a year? February 5th, I have it marked on my calendar."
  • The hug I get at the end of every outing
  • Picking her up after summer vacation to see her with the same haircut as myself
Those pros definitely outweigh any cons. I want to be a part of her life, see her go through middle school into high school, how she does with playing the cello, celebrate another birthday with her. Even though I may get stressed out about what we're going to do every week, the moment she sits in my car and we discuss her week, all that stress melts away. I think I'll continue what we've got going, see where it goes and hope I am making a positive influence on her life.

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