mentoring

Apprehension and uncertainty were abound during our first outing together. What would we talk about? Is he going to like me? Does he even want to be in this program? As prevalent as these self-doubting thoughts were, they were just as quickly displaced by the genuine exuberance that only a 7-year-old can show.

In April 2005, Big Brothers of Greater Los Angeles matched me with D’monique, better known as “Pie” by all his family and friends. Since then, we’ve gone to basketball and hockey games, learned at museums, played at annual Big Brother/Big Sister beach picnics, celebrated birthdays at Chuck E Cheese’s, competed in miniature golf, and who can forget the countless trips to McDonald’s after his football games.

At the start of the program, my match specialist had mentioned that many Bigs end up finding the program more beneficial and fulfilling than they could have ever imagined. Her statement could not have been any truer. Being a Big Brother has reminded me of how fortunate I am and how a little effort on my part can mean so much to a child. After struggling with ideas on how I was going to make some profound or abstract impact on Pie’s life, I came to realize that there really isn’t such a thing. The benefit comes to both of us through the simple act of sharing a story and a laugh, the simple act of being a mentor and a friend.