The Life-Changing Magic Of Giving

“A kind gesture can reach a wound that only compassion can heal.” Steve Maraboli

I love this quote. It is so very true. This is one of the things I love to do the most in life; offering a kind gesture to someone in need.

I could read stories all day about people giving strangers money and those receivers breaking down in tears because they needed it so badly. There’s a billionaire that I’ve read about on many occasions who gives away $100,000 every year in hundreds and he actually let a police department do it for him this year. The people that got pulled over and handed cash (instead of a traffic ticket) were shocked by the gift. It’s a great story.

Giving randomly is my favorite thing to do. I see people building orphanages and homes for abused women and I think that is so awesome, but I never seem to feel that any of those are my calling or should be a goal for me. The type of giving I enjoy is spontaneous and random.

I have shared this story before, but my daughters and I saw a woman going through a trashcan once and I handed my oldest daughter a twenty to hand to the lady. The woman reached through the car window and gave my daughter a big wet kiss on the cheek, which completely surprised my daughter and we laughed so hard. What struck me the most was that the woman said, “I haven’t seen a whole twenty dollar bill in a long time.” before we drove off.

Imagine that, not seeing larger bills than ones or fives. Every time I have the chance I give a ten or a twenty because of what that woman said to us. Twenty dollars must have seemed like a hundred dollars to her.

Once when my children we very little I had them in tow while grocery shopping for Christmas. I was trying to get through with my shopping and head home (because hauling three little kids through a grocery store isn’t fun for anyone) but, on a bench outside the store sat a girl who had been there since we had gone in. We asked if she’d like some food from the grocery, she said yes, so we went back in to get her something warm to eat.

I was concerned with her sitting so still and asked if I could do anything else for her. She asked if I could walk her to the bus station because she didn’t know her way around because she was blind. That just broke my heart. We had no idea she was blind. It was dark and there were no more buses so I called her a cab to get her home. My three little guys got to be a part of that and I am so glad.

A couple of years ago my son and I saw a family pulled over on the side of the road with a van full of kids.
I let my son ask if they needed help. They were looking for coins in the van to get gas so they could go a little farther.

My son asked if they had enough gas to drive across the street. They did. And we filled up their tank. Thirty dollars. They were so appreciative. They said they hadn’t filled up their tank in months. We were so glad to help.

Why am I saying all this? To remind myself and to remind you that a small act of kindness can go a long way for someone that just needs to get a little farther.

That’s really all it is. We don’t have to support them for life. Just for a moment and there is not a better feeling in the world!!