Russian Orphans

A couple of summer's ago I spent 6 weeks in Russia working with orphans. My world was changed and renewed in a sense. Realizing how helpless they were and yet they had so much spirit and life. I was so revved up to do all that I could to help those kids and others like them when I returned home to the United States. However, I've been home for a few years and feel like I've wasted that time and haven't lived up to the standards I set myself. Some nights I wake up and think of them. I see their pictures on my wall and wonder how I could have forgot….how I haven’t done more. It seems like we set such high standards and then life gets in the way....how do we keep that from happening? Do we set too high of standards or are we not meeting up to the standards we should be? Should I be doing more?? There such a difficult balance to maintain between living a full life and benefiting others and the selfish day to day worried about my “stuff” kind of living. I admire those that give it all up to help others. I wish I could be like that. I wish I could find a way to give like that and still feel like I met the expectations of my family too.