Giving.....

"Giving offers so much more than you can ever attain in a lifetime of receiving." -Kyle Lebeau

After Thanksgiving.....I start to think about giving to others, not just those who expect it. In the past few years, my holiday and giving cash has been strapped. I have tried to give my time, but I love to give in a myriad of ways. This year, I finally have enough and more. It has started me thinking about how I give - money, time, material things.

How do you decide where and how to give?

There are several places I give to for various reasons.

I give to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and Jimmy Fund Dana-Farber Cancer Research because they were my grandma's favorite charities. My wonderful, sweet, loving grandma who died when I was 11, but left this giving imprint on my heart. It makes me feel like I am keeping her memory I alive.

I give to the American Cancer Society and Susan G. Komen because my mom (and my friends' moms) had breast cancer and I hope someday no other women will have to suffer.

I donate my time to my local Hospice at our Children's Bereavement Group throughout the year. I do this for my friend who lost her mom when she was young and never had a place like this. I also do it because helping with grief is my passion. Weird I know.

I give to Globe Santa through our local newspaper because as children my parents always expected us give to them. They were teaching us to give to those children who were not as fortunate. Your name was in the paper and, as kids, it was a tangible way to see that we were helping. The paper featured stories of the families they help and we fantasized that our $10 was helping a particular boy or girl.

I donate my clothes and things to the Boys and Girls Club or Salvation Army because they make good use of these items.

I give my time to friends who have babies and could use a night out to renew their commitment to husbands and marriage.

I give my love to family and friends.

I give kindness to strangers during the holiday season (and all year). I try to help someone struggling with packages or let someone else have that "coveted" parking space. It's amazing how little it takes for people to look shocked that you have been kind.

I give to the scholarship fund set up in my memory of a college friend killed in an innocent auto accident on a winter road.

I give to my university so that another student may receive the grants and scholarships that allowed me to attend a school way out of our price range.

I give to the organization that helps homeless families in our area. I love being in the store and just picking up a few toys and clothes to drop in the box in my local bank each week.

Giving makes us feel good, no matter whether it's monetary, material, or emotional. It is truly wonderful - you feel good about giving and you make someone else feel good when they receive. Is there anything better?

“Remember that the happiest people are not those getting more, but those giving more.”
H. Jackson Brown, Jr. quotes