Posted on by Belinda O

Giving and Getting

Last month, when I visited my dad, a good friend, Madlyn, took care of my cats. I told her to go through a box of books and DVDs that I planned to donate to a local charity, and was pleased when I returned to see she’d taken a good number of both.

However, when I saw her again a few weeks later, I mentioned how happy I was to see she’d taken the DVDs. She told me then her TV had gone dead and she had no way to play them. Another friend was there at the same time, and as we walked to our cars she pulled me aside and asked if I thought we should work toward getting Madlyn a new TV. We knew that even though it wouldn’t cost much, she didn’t have the money, and we figured we could get several friends to pitch in.

Well, perhaps because the holidays are coming up and everyone is on a tight budget, we weren’t able to round up enough people to come up with the total we needed. So I looked online and saw that I could get an external drive for Madlyn’s computer for a surprisingly low price (Black Friday deals and all). I ordered it, and gave it to her last weekend.

I was afraid she’d be embarrassed or reluctant to accept a gift when she couldn’t reciprocate, but instead, she gave me a huge smile and heartfelt thank you. I was so happy to give it to her, and just as pleased that she accepted so graciously.

In this time of giving, let’s remember those who have less than we do without being afraid of how they might feel because of their circumstances. It’s a time of giving, after all, and if you can afford it, I can guarantee there is a friend, neighbor, or community member in need of what you can give. If they don’t do well with accepting the gift or even refuse it outright, you have shown the light of the season by trying.

And if you are on the receiving end of such a gift, remember it was done with love and your smile is enough of a gift in return.

Happy Holidays!

Image Credits: Street scene © Татьяна Креминская–stock.adobe.com; Candles © asife–stock.adobe.com

17 Replies to “Giving and Getting”

  1. A wonderful post for anytime of the year, but especially at this time. There are always those less fortunate, and you never know how much of a positive, lasting impact even the simplest of gestures can have on someone. Great thoughts shared here, Belinda.

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