What Will You Give?
Give kindness.
In a local first grade class, students can earn tokens for things like stickers or being able to sit with whomever they like at lunch.
Our resident 6-year-old came home yesterday and announced she had a ticket to sit wherever she wanted today. Knowing that she has her group of besties, I was incredibly touched to learn that she had chosen to sit with the boy who always eats alone.
They may have simply sat in companionable silence. The point was, she had compassion for someone who was different from all the rest.
This time of year, we begin to think we need to do big things in order to make a difference. Our mailboxes are full of letters asking for donations. We worry we won’t have enough Halloween candy. Sometimes we can barely keep our own family fed yet feel obligated to give and give.
I encourage you to think small. You may not be able to make a financial contribution, but you can hand the homeless person you pass every day a sandwich. You may not be able to afford Halloween candy, yet you can volunteer to help at one of the multiple trunk or treats that pop up each year.
Last year, our local high schoolers were incredibly creative with their Halloween costumes. They took more pleasure from the honest compliments than from any treats offered.
