Willow’s World

I began volunteering at the Naperville Area Humane Society over the summer to fill up some of my summer boredom with productive activity, and admittedly, to continue racking up service hours. The Humane Society had recently undergone renovations to increase the size of the space and thus the capacity of animals they could take care of and were in need of extra volunteers. That’s how I became a volunteer at the shelter.

My first shift at the shelter was quite the learning curve. I had gone through a brief 30-minute training the week prior, but cleaning the entire cat wing for real was a far more formative experience. My grandpa always used to say that the devil is in the details, and I don’t think I quite understood what that meant until that day. I view cleaning the wing as not 1 large task but an amalgamation of about 30 smaller tasks. Each task needs to be completed thoroughly but efficiently. There is so much to do, but that does not mean corners can be cut. If that happens, the cats’ health and wellbeing are put at risk. I learned all that on the first day. 

I have been a volunteer at the shelter for 3 months now, and here are a couple of the lessons I have taken away so far.

Lesson #1 

Drop whatever preconceived notions you have about a person before you get to know them 

Now, you might think this is an obvious lesson, but if you take a bit of time to think about all the judgments you make about a person before you even get to know them, you might realize that these primary judgments can have a real influence on your interactions with the person. I came to this realization when I met Christine, another volunteer of middle-age with a thick German accent and a habit of smoking. During my first day, Christine was very friendly. A seasoned volunteer of almost 5 years, she graciously took the time to show me where everything was located and reminded me of little tasks I might forget about such as wiping down the bars of the cages. After about an hour of cleaning, she popped her head into the room I was working in and asked, “Are you okay in here? I am going outside for a smoke”. I nodded and she turned to go outside. I rolled my eyes as she walked away, thinking to myself how sad it was that she smoked because I was really starting to like her, but I couldn’t be friends with a smoker. I have grown up in a household where smoking is looked down upon, and I am thankful for that because smoking is harmful to one’s health. I think that I also developed a habit of subconsciously looking down upon the people that do smoke, judging them for making such a poor life choice. During our lunch break one day, Christine said to me “my smoking does not harm anyone but myself. If someone is drunk and they get in a car and crash into someone, they have harmed themself and someone else”. If someone drinks alcohol, I don’t immediately write them off, yet I did that with someone who smokes. Who am I to judge someone about their life choices when it pertains to only themself? Christine has chosen to smoke, and I choose not to agree with that lifestyle, but I can still be friends with her despite these differences in opinions. 

Lesson #2 

Take the time to appreciate the people that keep public spaces clean 

The shelter depends on volunteers to clean the entire building, from the cat and dog wings, to the lobby, to the bathrooms, to mowing the grass on the property. I did not appreciate clean floors in a school, in doctor’s offices, or really any indoor building open to the public until I was the one sweeping and mopping them. The manual labor required for cleaning is exhausting, and I didn’t garner a true appreciation for the people who do it every day until I was cleaning the floors of the cat wing on a regular basis. So take this as your sign to go thank the school janitor next time you are leaving the school at 8 at night and the janitors are still there, ensuring that school is a pleasant place to learn. 

Lesson #3 

Cats are like people

Some cats are more outgoing than others. Some cats are more grumpy than others. Some cats are more self-sufficient than others. People are like that too, and they are all valuable. 

To preface, I have always been a bit of a tree hugger. The “Hug A Tree” T-shirt I frequently sported in my youth tells you all you need to know. Getting outside, feeling the sun on your face and a late summer breeze through your hair is something that most everyone means to do, but often gets pushed to the wayside in favor of other, more “important tasks”. I’ll be the first to admit that I am guilty of doing just this. School’s grand entrance into my schedule over the last month has thrown a wrench into the hours of time I used to spend outside. I am sad to report that I consider it a special day if I get to enjoy even 15 minutes of uninterrupted free time outside. As summer draws to a close, now is the perfect time to spend some quality time in nature. Lucky for you, I have compiled a list of the best spots in the Chicagoland area to check out!

Chicago Botanical Garden

I like to describe the Chicago Botanical Garden as the cream of the crop in terms of Chicago’s offerings of botanical happenings. Situated on a whopping 385 acres of land, the garden offers a variety of natural areas and 27 theme-specific gardens. From a sprawling Japanese Garden full of uniquely trimmed bushes to a Fruit and Vegetable Garden complete with grapevines, a grove of nut trees, there is something for everyone! For an international twist, consider checking out my personal favorite, the English Walled Garden. Designed by landscape architect John Brookes, the garden is complete with a stone lion and a lovely selection of native English plants that smell as delightful as they look. If you are in the mood to live out your cottage core dreams, this is the place for you!

Anderson Japanese Gardens 

Located in Rockford, about an hour and a half drive northeast of downtown Chicago lies the Anderson Japanese Gardens. Named after local Businessman John Anderson, with the guidance of “Master Craftsman and designer” Hoichi Kurisu, construction for the project began in 1978.  The Garden is crafted with the three essential elements of Japanese landscaping: stone, water, and plants. Walking through the gardens provides a highly calming atmosphere. Sounds of gently flowing waterfalls, and the comforting sensation of being enveloped in a leafy canopy provided me with a much-needed moment of zen when I visited the Garden in August of last year. A highlight of this Garden is the expansive pond complete with friendly koi you can feed. 

Morton Arboretum

Topping the Chicago Botanical Gardens with a whopping 3,700 acres of space, the Morton Arboretum is the ultimate green getaway. Favorited by parents for its interactive Children’s Garden, and by runners and bikers for its 16 miles of hiking trails, the Arboretum is a must-see spot! Besides the permanent gardens and trails which are both fun and functional, the Arboretum also hosts traveling exhibitions which can quickly become the highlight of any trip. In years past, a crowd favorite was an exhibition of oversized trolls fashioned from pieces of scrap metal and wood. On display currently is artist Daniel Popper’s largest ever exhibition, entitled “Human+Nature”.  

Cantigny Park

Last up is a trip down memory lane. Cantigny Park. Nestled on a quaint of 29 acres of land, Cantigny provides a little bit of everything. The First Division Museum (free for all) follows the history of the U.S Army’s 1st Infantry. Just Outside the museum lie the crowning jewels of Cantigny, a series of tanks which can be climbed on! I can confidently say that climbing the tanks at Cantigny is one of my favorite childhood memories. In recent years, Cantigny has also renovated some of its outdoor garden spaces. The Hosta Garden as well as a xeriscaping-inspired Garden (What is xeriscaping?)  have quickly become some of my absolute favorites.

As the fall months quickly approach, I highly recommend checking these spots out while the weather is still beautiful. That said, many of these establishments are open through late fall and host season-related events. I can vouch that apple cider sold at the Arboretum’s café makes for a great accompaniment to an October stroll. With my own action-packed school year ahead, I know the best thing I can do is get out and enjoy observing the changing season, and I would highly recommend it for you too! 

My earliest memories of my father are of a man committed to education. Having received a Bachelor’s in Electrical Engineering from Ohio State and a Master’s in Computer Science from Depaul University, my dad was returning to school to pursue a doctoral degree in Pharmacy. Each weekday he would leave for the train station in the early morning, my sister, mother, and I waving from the dining room window.

In the evenings, Dad would retreat to the guest room for hours at a time, spreading his materials neatly in front of him on the bed. Under strict instruction, I was only allowed to interrupt his study sessions to say goodnight. Clad in my favorite My Little Pony Pajamas, I would crawl onto the bed to give him a hug. Some days, my mother would linger in the doorway to discuss plans for the following day, and I got the rare privilege of crashing his study session for a bit longer. My focus would turn to the pages of scattered notes and the open textbooks resting atop the comforter. I don’t remember the content of the textbook pages or what my Dad had felt noteworthy enough to write down. What I do remember is my awe at the sheer volume of words in front of me. Compared to my touch and feel books, this level of reading felt like a stratosphere away from me. Dad is SO smart I thought to myself. 

With quiet diligence and an impressive work ethic considering he was also raising two toddlers at the time, my Dad finished his degree and went on to become a successful pharmacist. At the time, I couldn’t fully understand the enormous effort he poured into getting his degree. As a high school student with a pile of equally large textbooks sitting in my room, I am just as in awe of my dad as I was then. I merely possess the awareness now to appreciate the determination and grace that my dad showed in achieving all that he has.

 Throughout my life, my dad has been a model of what an active, engaged, and persistent learner looks like. As much as I strived for that in my reading education, I often felt frustrated and inadequate. 

These feelings first came about when I entered the first grade. I was venturing out of the world of kindergarten storytimes and afternoon reading sessions with my mother in the sheltered environment of our home. Mrs. Douglass, my kind and encouraging teacher conducted a pretest at the beginning of the year to assess each student’s reading proficiency. Based on the results, she sorted the students into groups of similar skill levels. To my utter dismay, I was placed in the beginner’s group, separate from all the friends I had made in kindergarten, who had been placed in the more advanced group. It became my mission that year to advance through the ranks and join my friends in the “cool group”.

With a stubborn attitude classic of any determined 6 year old, I completed my mission. I took books home from school and read them on the bus, frequently asking my mom about words I didn’t understand. I eventually made it to the most advanced group. To commemorate my achievement, I chose to read a chapter book from Mrs. Douglass’s collection for “advanced readers”. As quiet reading time rolled around, I confidently pulled out my advanced book and settled in. Turning to the first page, my mind went blank. I could pick out and words and phrases, but the compound sentences were much too complicated for me. Too prideful of my new status, I sat with the book in my lap for the next 30 minutes, turning the page every minute or so to give the illusion of comprehension. At the end of the day, I quietly slipped the book back onto the shelf, my confidence shattered. 

It took another 2 years, hours of guided reading, and a boatload of frustration before I regained my confidence. During that time, I despised my family’s weekly trip to the library, uninterested in any book my mother suggested we read together. I wanted to give up. Through my mother’s tireless commitment to building her daughter’s progress, and my father’s steady example of a persistent learner, my confidence slowly grew, and my persistence to do so did to.