What are you worried about?

 On Tuesday, December 1^st, Shelly, Mackenzie and I embarked on our final trip at Moveable Feast. After having already participated in a Moveable Feast trip a few times before, I felt like I finally knew what I was doing. I was confident walking into the kitchen where the meals were prepared, ready to get this show on the road. We had a common goal: get this done as quickly and as efficiently as possible.

However, when I took a look at our delivery route for the evening I was dismayed to see there were 19 houses on the list. This was not going to be a short night. That wasn’t going to stop us from trying to make it one however, so we made sure to organize the meals in a way that would allow us to deliver them as quickly as possible.

As we pulled onto the road I thought of other experiences I’d had with Moveable Feast and how much this service learning experience has taught me. I have learned how blessed I am and gained a greater appreciation for my small, but very nice dorm room. I have also realized how such a small thing like a nice comment or smile can change a person’s day in a big way.

Upon reflecting on this it made me want to be that person for somebody else, ideally everyone I come in contact with. So, when I went up to give the food to the first house, I tried to put on my best smile and use my most cheerful voice. 

I made this a pattern with the rest of the houses we delivered to. It really changed my perspective on the whole evening. 

Instead of worrying about what time we were going to be done or what I could do to speed the process up, I was focusing on my individual interactions with the beneficiaries of Moveable Feast. What could I do or say to make these people’s day just a little bit better?

One of the last meals I delivered that night.

In the end, it doesn’t matter what time we finish delivering the meals, its not a race. What does matter is that these people receive the food they need and are treated with respect and compassion.

 I won’t know truly what kind of an impact I had on them or if I had one at all even, but I did my best to make their evening a little brighter.

Typical to other experiences with Moveable Feast, I left that night having learned a lesson. If we stop worrying about little things that don't matter, like how fast we can get something done, we can take more time to think about our actions and how they affect others-which will leave people with a more positive impact.