THE SEASON FOR GIVING

We all talk about the season of giving but who do we give to…..our families, our lovers….our friends. I’ve asked myself this question many times….are our families and friends more worthy of our giving than the stranger down the street who is down and out and really needs help?

I’ve given to the poor and to charity on more than one holiday season rather than buying presents for my family that they would have shoved in a drawer. Those in need were very happy….but my family…not so much.

My point is not to neglect our families….but do they really NEED all that we GIVE? I doubt it. So here’s my proposal for the holiday season: Give something of value to someone who needs it. That “something” can be a smile, a warm gesture or encouraging words. It could be some food or something that is valuable to them in their time of need. I encourage everyone to give to just one or two people this holiday season who you don’t know and who cannot benefit you in any way. See how you feel about yourself….see how you feel about the holiday.

I saw this quote on a community page and it rang true to me – I’d like to share it with you….and thanks to Sharon for her special insight.


"A single act of giving has a value beyond what we can imagine. So much of the spiritual path is expressed and realized in giving: love, compassion,sympathetic joy, equanimity; letting go of grasping, aversion, and delusion."

To give is powerful. That is why the Buddha said that if we knew as he did, the power of giving, we would not let a single meal pass without sharing some of it. Sharing food is a metaphore for all giving. When we offer someone food, we are not just giving that person something to eat; we are giving far more. We give strength, health, beauty, clarity of mind, and even life because none of those things would be possible without food. So when we feed another, this is what we are offering - the substance of life itself.
--Sharon Salzberg