What Goes Around Comes Around

As much as I love JT, I'm not planning to break out in song.

I've just been thinking about how the deeds were do are often reciprocated in kind.

Have you ever been in a checkout line with a million things and see someone behind you with one or two little items and let them go ahead of you?

Have you ever held the door open for a mom with kidlets in tow and arms loaded down?

Have you ever paid for the meal/coffee of the person behind you in the drive-thru?

How about stopping to help a little old lady in the grocery store who can't reach an item on the top shelf?

Or, maybe aided an embarrassed teenager at a convenience store who realizes he doesn't have quite enough change, by just quietly handing over a quarter to the store clerk?

Do you have a sponsor child? (a small price to pay per month to help a little friend)

We often think our generosity has to be counted in big dollar amounts. We see Bono and Brangelina spending millions of dollars to help cure AIDS and solve the world hunger issue but we don't see how we can ever possibly be a relevant part of that fight without the bucks and high profile. We think, if we can't do all that, then we can't do anything.

I think we may have lost sight of what true generosity is. Yes, it is absolutely wonderful when the big stars use their status and money to help the world. I'm not knocking them. I just want to remind you that the small "insignificant" things you might do can generate a ripple effect that can affect many people in great ways.

It may seem like nothing when you shovel your neighbours sidewalk or chat with the weird stranger on the bus. But what if that person is feeling like an absolute noboby who feels they are all alone? Your generous spirit could be the one thing that keeps them going for another day. Maybe what you did will boost their spirits and they will reach out to help another as well.

And then have you ever noticed when you do these things, not out of selfishness or wanting to earn some sort of gratitude or recognition, that the feeling you get for having given something is amazing - it makes you hold your head up a little higher, makes you want to do more, be better. It's a good feeling to help, even without receiving anything in return.

But then Karma works wonders, doesn't it? Suddenly, there's a day when you're in a rush and in an aggravatingly slow checkout at Walmart. You just had to run in there for a second (impossible! this is Walmart!) to get some children's tylenol for your teething toddler. You are twitching, leaning on one foot, shifting impatiently to the other. The person in front of you has a million things but so does every other person in every other lineup. And then BOOM! - the quiet voice in front of you says, "Ya wanna go ahead? You just have the one thing..." And you issue a silent little "Thank God" to heaven and tell the sweet person who has saved your day how wonderful they are.

And you have received your little reward here on earth (I'm sure our heavenly rewards will be greater for our generous hearts). What you did has come back to greet you with a smile.

Of course, it works the other way too. Ya know, with the bad stuff. Like the other night when the hubster came home late from a hockey game, walking in the room (I was in bed) and said, "I'm starving!" and I quickly made the smart-ass reply, "Well, if you think I'm making you something then the ice in that arena must have frozen your frikkin brain cells!" I wonder what I'll get in return for that? Have I ever blogged about being a good wife? Probably not.

What can I say? My generous spirit is a constant work in progress.