Every year, around the holidays, my family does something charitable. Last year we donated to Toys for Tots and Operation Christmas Child. There is no shortage of ways to give to the needy.
I’ve thought this was a great way to get our kids to learn the spirit of giving. But, after some soul searching, I decided we need to do more. Giving comes in many shapes and sizes, and this year we are going to give not just gifts, but of ourselves.
My hope is that if we serve at an orphanage or homeless shelter, maybe our kids will pause and realize that the way we live is a privilege, and not a right.
This Christmas, the one gift I truly want is for my children to appreciate the good in their lives. The financial comfort of food and shelter are just the tip of the iceberg. They have their health, parents who love them very much, and each other. They have fresh air and water and overall, a wonderful life.
We take these things for granted every single day.
I want them to realize it’s important to share and be generous. Not just with what they have, but with who they are.
The most amazing part is that being generous is almost magical. When you give, you are the one who reaps the rewards.
Watch any two-year-old for a while, and you will see that sharing does not come innately.
Lucky for parents, children are like sponges. They learn how to walk and talk and sing just by mimicking us. Let’s all make giving something our children grow up doing because they lived it every day.
As Gandhi once said, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.”
