Hamper Of Love

Day 334

“Give freely to the world these gifts of love and compassion. Do not concern yourself with how much you receive in return, just know in your heart it will be returned.”

– Steve Maraboli

The dictionary defines giving as “the act of bestowing as a gift; a conferring or imparting…to others,” but in truth when you give to others, it comes back to you in ways you can’t even imagine. When we lift others up, we send out energetic vibrations of abundance, and the Universe responds by giving us more abundance.

It’s Giving Tuesday – an international day of giving at the beginning of the Christmas and holiday season created in 2012 as a response to commercialization of the holiday season.

Isn’t this the most awesome designated day, of all days, ever?

The only thing that would be better is if it was everyday – that’s what my tornado-of-kindness campaign is about. Even if you don’t have extra money to give, there are so many other ways to give.

I had one of the most rewarding experiences of my life a few years ago when I was home for the holidays. My sister worked at a community agency aimed at helping low-income families, and they had an annual holiday hamper drive where they took boxes of household items to the families they served, along with a big box of food with all the trimmings for a full holiday dinner, turkey included. They needed volunteers to help put the hampers together, as well as to deliver them, and I had plenty of time on my hands, so I chipped in.

There are no words to describe the feeling I had when I saw the looks on the faces of the recipients of those hampers. It was like my heart was bursting out of my chest with pure joy.

If you’re strapped for cash, but you’d like to give, here are a few suggestions:

1. Give your time:
   1. volunteer at your local soup kitchen;
   2. spend an hour or an afternoon reading to the elderly at a hospice;
   3. take some time to go visit kids at your nearest children’s hospital;
2. Give your expertise:
   1. tutor a child;
   2. help build a home with habitat for humanity;
   3. offer to volunteer your skills at your local community center (if you’re a techy, help them with the computer needs, or do taxes for a few families without charge if you’re an accountant);
3. Give your heart:
   1. adopt a pet from a rescue shelter;
   2. donate blood;
   3. give a meal or a blanket to a homeless person.

It doesn’t matter how you give, the joy is all yours!

Thank you, thank you, thank you!