crosstitchqueen, I volunteered my life away when I was a SAHM. I had a tremendous desire to be involved with most activities my children were involved with.

I was a homeroom mom, lunch room mom, youth advisor, Sunday school superintendent and Sunday school teacher. I taught parenting classes, started a prayer group for moms, sold hot dogs for the rec council, hosted parties, raised money for teams, schools, church, you name it. I served on the board of our neighborhood association. I chaired the Baltimore Skate Solutions Committee which convinced government officials to provide our youth with three skate parks in our county. The list goes on ad nauseum.

When Mom became ill and was given 6 months to live, I dropped all things volunteer to care for Mom with my Dad and siblings. I'll never regret it.

Since, I am very careful about how I spend my free time. I realized that everything I had done in the past was typically tied to my kids. Now I only volunteer doing what really appeals to me. Maybe I burned out.

So, to make a short story long...the only volunteer work I do now is short term activities for church and my daughter's school. I can't beleive it, but that's all I do.

I am a confirmation sponsor for a ninth grade gal at church and that's about it. My husband is also a confirmand sponsor, plus he visits a young boy at a local orphanage weekly, without fail!

I intend to get invloved with teens at church in my empty nest.

Great topic.