Writer's note: (The following is another guest blog from Darcy, my lovely passionate wife. Poignant, well timed piece focused on the reasons to give and the rewarding joys that come from giving to those in need!)
One of my favorite things is to actually have the remote control to myself. No morning ESPN, no tweener Disney, and no Dora the Explorer, Blues Clues or the Price is Right. I love Hot Topics! For the few of you that don’t know the meaning to this, quick tutorial: Barbara Walter’s 20 minute montage which brings women together from different back grounds and different political/religious views to recap current events on The View.
Let me start with a disclaimer…Whoopi Goldberg is quite possibly the wittiest woman that God placed on the face of this earth. I don’t fancy most of her ideas, but she is witty and entertaining.
I caught a brief five minutes of today’s Hot Topics, and once again, Whoopi made my go, “hmmm”; she did this partially because I have been guilty of a ridiculous idea that she has. The idea is in gift giving. She actually buys gifts for every child invited to a birthday party that she is hosting. Not a party favor, a gift.
I have done it many times. When I heard it come from her mouth it was absolutely one of the most nonsensical things that I have ever heard. And so I began to think. I thought of all the times that there was a new baby and I had purchased a big brother/big sister gift for the older sibling; a simple way and reminder that “you are still important”. Of course the gift never over shadowed the “main gift”; it was just a way of making everyone feel important.
Today as I listened to Whoopi go on and on, like so many other times, I could not stop from thinking. Is this really necessary? Have we so conditioned our children to receive material things at all times that we have forgotten to teach them it is better to give than to receive? What every happened to solely bringing joy to others?
Quickly, I was taken back to a friend who invited us to a birthday years ago. The birthday was for her 4 year old daughter. The inscription on the invitation read, “All gifts received will be donated to underprivileged children, please bring wrapped gently used gifts to re-give.” She had not made the day a day of self focused celebration. It was focused on giving, yes, but not entirely focused on her daughter. She recognized her great blessing (her child had been born to two well known physicians).
We celebrated Bethany’s birthday that day, but we celebrated knowing that Bethany was blessed; blessed enough that she would never have a need for food, clothes or any other material item. We celebrated with an understanding that there were far too many children without these privileges. We celebrated with a greater understanding of giving.
This same physician gave a goat in my name to a village in Africa one year for Christmas. I laughed at first, it was hysterical! Then, I was humbled. That goat provided a small village with milk, something I had taken for granted every time I purchased an exorbitant amount of food at the grocery. She could have bought me a bracelet, a gift certificate to my favorite restaurant or given me cold hard cash. Instead, she spent nearly $200 to purchase a goat. Instead of pampering my selfish desires, she gave money that I didn’t need to a cause that would continue giving. I wonder what my kids would do if I viewed Christmas through her eyes?
Really, I guess, I wonder what the world would do if we quit looking at our own needs (mostly wants) and focused a little more on those truly in need.
As I continue to think about Whoopi’s outlandish way of thinking, I ask myself this. What is my motive for giving gifts? I love to give. I love to look at the recipient when I have given a perfectly thoughtful gift. I love to receive. But, I want my children to learn that it is better to give than to receive. I want the focus of getting to be taken away from them. I want them to celebrate birthdays, and Christmas, new births and weddings with the feeling of excitement of new relationships and a new opportunity to serve. I don’t want them to have a self-focused “me first” idea of receiving. I ultimately want them to understand that the best gift we can ever receive is the feeling of giving to those in need.
Let me start with a disclaimer…Whoopi Goldberg is quite possibly the wittiest woman that God placed on the face of this earth. I don’t fancy most of her ideas, but she is witty and entertaining.
I caught a brief five minutes of today’s Hot Topics, and once again, Whoopi made my go, “hmmm”; she did this partially because I have been guilty of a ridiculous idea that she has. The idea is in gift giving. She actually buys gifts for every child invited to a birthday party that she is hosting. Not a party favor, a gift.
I have done it many times. When I heard it come from her mouth it was absolutely one of the most nonsensical things that I have ever heard. And so I began to think. I thought of all the times that there was a new baby and I had purchased a big brother/big sister gift for the older sibling; a simple way and reminder that “you are still important”. Of course the gift never over shadowed the “main gift”; it was just a way of making everyone feel important.
Today as I listened to Whoopi go on and on, like so many other times, I could not stop from thinking. Is this really necessary? Have we so conditioned our children to receive material things at all times that we have forgotten to teach them it is better to give than to receive? What every happened to solely bringing joy to others?
Quickly, I was taken back to a friend who invited us to a birthday years ago. The birthday was for her 4 year old daughter. The inscription on the invitation read, “All gifts received will be donated to underprivileged children, please bring wrapped gently used gifts to re-give.” She had not made the day a day of self focused celebration. It was focused on giving, yes, but not entirely focused on her daughter. She recognized her great blessing (her child had been born to two well known physicians).
We celebrated Bethany’s birthday that day, but we celebrated knowing that Bethany was blessed; blessed enough that she would never have a need for food, clothes or any other material item. We celebrated with an understanding that there were far too many children without these privileges. We celebrated with a greater understanding of giving.
This same physician gave a goat in my name to a village in Africa one year for Christmas. I laughed at first, it was hysterical! Then, I was humbled. That goat provided a small village with milk, something I had taken for granted every time I purchased an exorbitant amount of food at the grocery. She could have bought me a bracelet, a gift certificate to my favorite restaurant or given me cold hard cash. Instead, she spent nearly $200 to purchase a goat. Instead of pampering my selfish desires, she gave money that I didn’t need to a cause that would continue giving. I wonder what my kids would do if I viewed Christmas through her eyes?
Really, I guess, I wonder what the world would do if we quit looking at our own needs (mostly wants) and focused a little more on those truly in need.
As I continue to think about Whoopi’s outlandish way of thinking, I ask myself this. What is my motive for giving gifts? I love to give. I love to look at the recipient when I have given a perfectly thoughtful gift. I love to receive. But, I want my children to learn that it is better to give than to receive. I want the focus of getting to be taken away from them. I want them to celebrate birthdays, and Christmas, new births and weddings with the feeling of excitement of new relationships and a new opportunity to serve. I don’t want them to have a self-focused “me first” idea of receiving. I ultimately want them to understand that the best gift we can ever receive is the feeling of giving to those in need.
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