Giving and Taking

Is there anything that gives us more joy than giving
of ourselves? I’m not talking about giving gifts; I’m
talking about giving time and effort to make a
difference in another person’s life. Putting some
effort into giving is so much more rewarding than
taking.

Time is the most wonderful gift you can give anyone.
Anyone who has or had a great parent will tell you
that the greatest gift their parent gave them was
time. Time to read, time to play, time to talk and
time to listen is fantastic gifts to children and is
never forgotten.

Do you give enough time to your loved ones now that
you’re an adult? Knowing that it is a precious gift
that costs nothing at all makes it so easy to give!

Now, make an actual effort to give someone your time.
For example, call a friend, or a Church member you
know, or your sister-in-law and invite them to coffee;
not someone you’ve invited before, but someone new.

Or go visit someone who is cooped up at home or in the
nursing home. Bake someone cookies, or take a plant or
a bouquet of flowers from your garden. Make a
connection and make an effort to keep that connection.

Giving, in lieu of taking, is so much more rewarding
and will be a huge source of inner happiness for you,
not to mention those lives you will touch. Giving is a
true win-win gift!