The secret to living a fulfilling life is giving. If you have been fortunate in your life, if other people have given you support when you needed it, pay it forward.  Do it often as it is possible. This is a lesson I learned early in my adult life. When I moved to Florida at twenty-two the only people, I knew were my soon to be husband, Bob and his immediate family.

I applied for a job at B.D. Cole which was an insurance company in West Palm Beach. I had been working there for about two months when I took off two days off because I was getting married. I took a very short honeymoon in Miami.

When I returned to work, I was called into the office and handed a large gift-wrapped box in wedding paper with a beautiful satin bow on it. The attached card said Congratulations on your nuptials, it was signed by all the employees of BD Cole.

I said, “oh, thank you so much for your gift.”  As I was about to leave the office to go back to work my boss said, “Oh Susan, just one more thing. I’m sorry but we are going to have to lay you off because we are having some financial problems. And all the recently hired people are being laid off.”

Saying I was shocked is an understatement. I was floored. At the end of the day, I cleaned out my desk and left without saying anything to anyone. I went back to my apartment and had myself a good cry. I was still crying when my husband of three days came home from work.

I explained to him what had happened and he said,” don’t worry Susie you’ll find a new job.” But I didn’t. I looked for a job for several months. But I became aware that most companies in Florida at that time had a policy of not hiring people who hadn’t lived in Florida as a permanent resident for at least six months to a year.

I decided to go to hairdresser’s school. I can’t remember just why I thought this was a good choice for me. Since, I never had any interest in even my own hair. Perhaps it was the only training available at the time that only took nine months. After I graduated, I was hired at the Colonnades Hotel on Singer Island doing facials. I decided that I would look for a volunteer position since giving facials was not very challenging.

And that was when I realized my true calling, helping other people. My first volunteer position was with an organization called Childcare Assistance for Special Children. And during the next several years that I lived in Florida I volunteered as a fill-in houseparent for a home for mentally handicapped adults when the regular houseparent took vacations. I leaned how to do physical therapy for two young brothers who suffered form Cystic Fibrosis. 

My husband Bob and I moved to California so he could attend Brooks Institute to study photography. My first job didn’t last long I was hired to sell hats and wigs at Robinson’s Department Store. To say I was bored is an understatement.

I was lucky enough to be hired as a houseparent at St. Vincent’s a residential school in Santa Barbara. My position was houseparent for a group of adolescent girls with a variety of physical and learning disabilities including mental retardation. It was the most rewarding position I have ever had in my entire adult life. Those girls taught me more about life, and courage and love than any other people I ever known.

Because of the positive experience I had working at St. Vincent’s I continued throughout my life to try to contribute to other people’s well-being and quality of life. Whenever, I saw an opportunity. Because, in helping others, I helped myself immensely. I felt my life had true meaning, that I was contributing to making the world a better place. It has given me a sense of worth that I would not have realized in any other way.

Over the next several years, I took classes in teaching Basic Skills and English as a Second Language. I taught Basic Skills to people trying to get their GED. Some went on to higher education. They were able to earn a better living and help their families financially.

I taught English as a Second Language to immigrants from India, China, Bosnia and Serbia. There aren’t words to describe what a wonderful opportunity this was for me.

As a second generation American I had the ability to help other people from across the world to find a new life in our country. A life with more opportunities for themselves and their families. A chance for them to contribute to our country as all previous immigrants have. America is a country of immigrants.

In my paid positions, I worked as a houseparent and Assistant Supervisor at Terrell Cottage at Ranch Hope in Alloway, NJ. Which is a residential treatment program for at-risk adolescent boys from inner cities such as Camden and Trenton NJ.

I worked at Center for Family Service in Camden, NJ in a program called Project Cope which matched children who had an incarcerated parent with a member of five churches in Camden. It was a partnership with Big Brothers, Big Sister Program. I took my training through the Amache Program in Philadelphia run by former mayor of Philadelphia, Wilson Goode, the first black mayor of a major city in America.

In conclusion, I would like to say without doubt that no one can create a better life for themselves than in the service of his fellowman. It gives back a thousand-fold. Could I have made more money somewhere else? Yes, probably. But I would not have had the opportunity to work with all the caring and wonderful human beings I have known. I wouldn’t have met people from every walk of life, people from all over the world. I wouldn’t have been able to feel that my life was as well-spent.