Day 23 ❦ When shared, small gifts can reap huge rewards.

Day 23

The Gift: Loose change in March of Dimes box

Today I told the third person about my giving exercise. I have been holding this very closely, so that people I know don’t question my motives when they receive a gift from me wondering if I am giving from my heart or out of obligation just to complete the exercise. Now, I will have to admit that when I first began this exercise, I thought that there would be times that I would be giving out of obligation - just to stay on track - and while I have had to intentionally seek out giving opportunities - obligation is a concept or feeling that has not ever been present. I have found that I feel full of gratitude when a giving opportunity presents itself.

So today, I went out on an intentional giving hunt. I packed my nine year old in the car and told her that I needed to find something or someone to give to. No other explanation, simply that we were going on a giving hunt. She so got into it. Her giving ideas were wide and varied and she was still dreaming about them while we went grocery shopping. At the check-out she noticed the change boxes that were posted by the cash register that were labeled “March of Dimes” and asked the clerk, “What is the March of Dimes”? At which the seventeen year old clerk looked up a little perplexed, realized what my daughter was talking about and thought for a minute. “I think it is an organization that helps little babies who have problems”, she responded. So Shannon decided that the March of Dimes really needed our money because she wanted to help little babies with problems and I promptly dumped all of my change in her hand for her to put in the box. Shannon and the clerk exchanged huge smiles as we walked away, Such a small gift, such huge rewards.... Several days later, while we were driving, a March of Dimes commercial came on the air and Shannon sat straighter in her seat and excitedly proclaimed that we had helped them, “remember Mom, at the grocery store?”, smiling again.

  ❦ When shared, small gifts can reap huge rewards.