By: Tanvi Maharaja
Giving is always in fashion, invariably imperative, and infinitely rewarding. The beauty of giving is, it is not confined by the material, or by temporal or spatial limits. It is incessant! You can give in cash or in kind, or, you could give in a myriad of other ways. And once you have given, and given humbly, and with love, the receiver will hold that memory long after the act—transcending through time, wherever he may be.
Many of us give in cash, it seems to be quick, and today’s digital world has made the task super easy and efficient. You find your charity or cause, click a mouse, done. Some of us give in kind: we donate food, clothes, back to school supplies, winter clothes, books, even furniture. Well, guess what, in today’s world, where it is so easy to develop an insouciance to our surroundings, the art of giving comes as a soothing balm.
We don’t really think about it, but there is so much more to give to this world.
To those who stood by you during your tough times, give gratitude.
To those who taught you the little yet important lessons of life, offer thanks by implementing those lessons.
There will always be someone to offer to hold your hand and guide you through a precarious moment or a sensitive situation; to them, give the opportunity to take your hand.
To those who inspire vision and spark confidence, give all the more reason to confide in you.
To those who have given with love, offer the capacity to receive magnanimously.
To those who are waiting to hear from you, give your time. To those who are waiting to be heard, give your time.
To those who are caught under clouds, give some sunshine. To those who are hurting, give your smile.
To those who have been left in the lurch by modern-day machines such as insurances and banks, give your compassion through communicating with them and figuring out how you can help them.
There are those who have been bereft of loved ones, long gone or painfully separated; give them your presence, lend them your ear.
To those who have little left to expect, give hope, give optimism, give a kind word.
To those who are exasperated after a busy day, give some space, give some quiet to unwind and start anew.
To those who have fallen from their majesty, due to whatever reasons, give respect and a reason to believe that things can and will get better.
There will be those you think you can never please. These are the ones you need to give to the most: a second chance, a smile and a nod, an attempt to understand their perspective; and even possibly, room and time to take their time, yielding to acceptance that it is ok to maintain some space.
To those you find trying, give your patience.
To those who trust you, offer the best version of yourself.
To those who don’t, offer reason to trust.
There will always be someone struggling through life’s cruel chances, trying their hardest but being beaten up by circumstances; give them reason to try again, offer help, uplift them through kindness. Tell them how brave they are to not quit, they just need to figure this out: they need to hear that.
To those on a self-destructive, lonely path, bereft of guidance, give a reality check. Truth is what they need to hear. It takes a person of character to come bearing the bad news, but remember, deliver it with grace. Give them the truth, do not crush their spirit.
And in giving thus and thus, you are giving to yourself too—the modesty to realize the gratitude of being in a position to give. You bequeath yourself the gift of humanity.
Giving is the most satisfying, the most blessed, distinctive human trait—if done with humility; and with the knowledge that what goes around, comes around. It says that you are grateful to be able to reach out to another soul. To give is to acknowledge the dignity of another, to gently tell them, “Hey, I care about you.”
Community Voices for Health 