Generosity is one of our greatest virtues. It is often defined as “the trait of being willing to give your money or time”. But how much money should you give, and how much time should you invest? Or is generosity about so much more than money?
Bennet Cerf relates a touching story called ‘The Gift’ from the book ‘Chicken Soup for the Soul’. A bus is driving along a bumpy road in the southern USA. An old man is sat holding a beautiful bunch of flowers, and on the other side of the bus is a young girl. She steals long glances at the flowers, unable to look away for too long. The bus pulls over at the next stop and the old man impulsively puts the flowers in the young girls lap. “I can see you love the flowers”, he explains, “and I think my wife would like for you to have them. I’ll tell her I gave them to you.” The girl accepts the flowers, then watches the old man get off the bus and walk through the gate of a small cemetery.
Don’t agonise over how much money you should give, or how much time you should invest. Generosity can be found in the smallest actions, as this story demonstrates. Don’t wait to be asked – go ahead and do something generous for someone you care about. You’ll be surprised at how good it makes you feel.
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