A few months after I initially inquired about Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) at the health fair at Franklin Electric, I found myself walking into an elementary school to meet my Little for the first time. And, as I stated in the previous installment of my BBBS series, I was quite nervous about it.
Thankfully, our match support specialist was there to facilitate the first meeting and make us feel a bit more comfortable. First, we went over some paperwork and general guidelines, then we did some icebreaker activities that I initially thought would be awkward but turned out to be pretty helpful for Samantha and I as we got to know one another.
Samantha was pretty outgoing right away and seemed quite enthusiastic about the program. She even said that the other girls in her class were jealous of her because she got her own Big!
At our first meeting, we ended up going through our icebreaker activities and just talking. As it turns out, we share a love for journaling, reading, and even some of the same bands. I would have never guessed that I had so much in common with a nine year old.
We decided that I would come for lunch on Fridays and we would meet in the special clubhouse area at her school. All in all, I left feeling pretty confident in my match with Samantha.
I was a little unsure of what we would do each week when I came for lunch, but I really had nothing to worry about because Samantha always has plenty of ideas as soon as I walk through the door. At first, we would read books together and chat about things going on in her life. Then, she wanted to introduce me to her other classmates, which helped me to understand more of what was going on with her friends and school life. She also enjoys playing with my makeup and hair and showing me new apps on my phone.
A few weeks back, I bought a book called "Wreck this Journal" by Keri Smith. If you've never heard of it, this book is probably the coolest thing for 3rd through 5th graders. Each page has a different way in which to destroy it. We've had a great time stepping on, ripping up, drawing in, and generally destroying the journal over the past few weeks. And recently, I bought a blank notebook so we could create our own and come up with unique ways to wreck it.
I have been pleasantly surprised by how well I get along with Samantha and by how many activities we both enjoy doing together. We just celebrated our 3 month anniversary and I am excited to see how our relationship progresses.
Interested in getting involved in Big Brothers Big Sisters? You can get more information and sign up to volunteer here!
