Sept. 7, 2004, was my daughter’s first day of kindergarten. It was on this day that I realized our lives would be determined by the Forestville Central School’s calendar for the next 17 years.

I also committed myself to do anything I could for my children and their classes to make their experiences good ones. From Kindergarten through sixth grade, I attended my children’s class parties, field trips and other events. Together our family developed friendships with other students and their families. I was able to see first hand how much time, love and effort their teachers and staff put into our school and the kids within it.

As my kids grew older and moved into middle and high school, I attended my first music booster meeting and I have been involved with it ever since. Some people wonder why I do it, why I allow my life to become so busy, taking away “me-time”. I stand in hot sun or rain during parades, and sit on freezing cold bleachers during football games. I spend hours practicing with the pit orchestra and devote time coordinating schedules for parent chaperones, requesting patrons and donations for our events.

This commitment has taken up a lot of time, but it has given me far more than I have invested. These kids have given me untold joy when I see them celebrate their victories and learn from their losses. This group has allowed me to share poignant moments with my children while playing or singing the same song in the musical and has gifted me with lifelong friends. It has allowed me to really get to know our teachers and children. Best of all, it has reminded me of the inherent goodness in kids and the dedication that our Forestville Central School family has given them.

My daughter has since graduated from high school and my son has only four remaining years at Forestville Central School. During this time, my perspective about volunteering has changed significantly. I started this journey 13 years ago with the narrow focus of helping my children and somewhere along the way it became much broader to helping ALL of these wonderful kids. My goal is to help our children and our program succeed by providing what the school budget, teachers and staff can’t do alone.

I know that all too soon I will have all the time “me-time” I could ever want, so today I dedicate myself to this program, our kids and our school. It is, has been and will be worth every moment.

Karen Kaminski is a Forestville resident.