When my son Levi was 4, he decided he needed to do something to give back to the community. He approached his preschool teacher with a proposal for the first annual “Levi Gettleman Clean Up the Park Day.” I’m not exaggerating when I tell you that at four years old he created permission slips, presented them to his classmates on the importance of caring for the community, and led the kids in gathering and recycling all the garbage they could collect at Police Park in Phoenix.
I was surprised when, the following year, my little kindergartener reminded me that he needed to return to his preschool and start preparing for the second annual event. He called his teacher, met with her to plan the trip, and once again, with her help and encouragement, pulled off a fabulous and meaningful field trip that taught the kids how to honor their environment and strengthen their community.
This year will be the 10th anniversary of this very special day. Things haven’t changed much from that first field trip. The kids still make apple core and peanut butter birdseed feeders and joyfully hang them from the trees, while every trace of garbage, litter and refuse is carefully removed, separated and bagged into regular and recyclable piles.
Levi will turn 13 next year, and has started thinking about becoming a bar mitzvah. To him, the mitzvah project seems clear. “Mom,” he told me. “I’m going to make the 10th anniversary of the ‘Clean Up the Park Day’ bigger and better than ever as my mitzvah project. What do you think?”
I just smiled. What could I think? “Levi,” I told him, “I’m proud of you, what you believe in, and the commitment you’ve always shown to repairing the world around you.”
Now that’s a mitzvah project to make a mom proud.
