“There was a man, though some did think him mad, The more he cast away, the more he had.” -- Author unknown
Reflection:
I read a story sent in from a reader of the Bits and Pieces magazine about the unselfish giving of a five year old. It so touched my heart that it caused me to stop and think about my own practice of giving.
In a kindergarten class the teacher and children had been discussing what had happened in the 9/11 incident and how some children had lost their parents. One five year old felt very sad for them and wanted to do something nice to cheer them up and so took half of his savings out of his piggy bank and gave it to his teacher. He asked her to buy toys for those children to brighten their day. The teacher was so overwhelmed that she began to cry. Although his contribution only totaled $15.50, yet to him it was half of everything he owned.
What a great example of unselfish giving. It's hard to imagine giving half of what I own for total strangers to cheer them up but that is what this child did. This little boy's example of love and giving gave me courage to give more to others in need and not to worry so much about the consequences.
Are the evils of this world preventing love, compassion, and kindness from flowing into your thoughts and deeds? If so, take heart by the caring and loving example of this five year old.