Snowball: Gaining Perspective and Focusing on the Meaning of Life

I volunteered as an adult leader for Operation Snowball last week for Patch's Give 5 Day program. Learn more about my experience below.

I absolutely loved Operation Snowball in high school. The program helped this shy girl become more outgoing, find her voice and become a better leader.

Going back to Snowball as an adult leader was sort of strange. I didn't know any of the students at Downers Grove South anymore; I just knew a few of the adults. My main concerns weren't applying to college or handling AP classes. Having just graduated from college, I feared the students would think I was already too old to relate to them.

But Snowball, as always, was a great release and a grand re-prioritization. Every day, we worry about a million little things that draw our attention away from the larger, more important things in life, like friendship, trust, acceptance and love.

We had a yoga workshop and talked about taking positive risks. We talked about sexual pressure, drugs and alcohol and other high school pressures. We passed a Lifesaver around our circle using just toothpicks in our mouths (no easy feat, let me tell you).

During Snowball, you become good friends with people who just the day before were complete strangers to you. You allow yourself to relax. You have fun. You dance. You joke. You dress up in crazy costumes.

As I got to know the 17 other people in my small group, it dawned on me again how much more acceptance and tolerance there could be if people could only sit down and get to know one another. After all, the 18 of us come from all different backgrounds and families. We all face different struggles. We all have different strengths and weaknesses. But we all came together in 36 hours.

I know that I make Snowball seem like an oasis of idealism. To some of you that might seem trite or romanticized. But if you could only see how much it means to a high school student to be told that they are a person of worth, you would see what I mean.

For everything that tears us down, Snowball is an opportunity to build people up. For every moment we feel isolated or alone, Snowball is a chance to find that we're part of a community. And we need that.

There are several theories on the meaning of life, but I think Snowball focuses on several of them: being true to yourself, buliding relationships, and love, both loving others and allowing yourself to be loved.

As for returning to Snowball as an adult, the transition went pretty well. Some of the students thought I was in high school. I think I sort of shocked my small group when I told them I graduated college in June.

It was comforting to know that the students could not only still relate to me, but that I could give them some insight from college that they found valuable.

For me, seeing how Snowball had grown was a blessing. This year's event was the largest ever. And I heard other students talked about how it had shaped them as a person and a leader, just like it had shaped me.

You can check out photos of my Disney group and Camp Duncan to the right. If you have the chance to go to Snowball as an adult or a student, go. Then let me know so we can talk about it!