“The Popcorn Theory doesn’t oblige all of us to write impressively large checks or take in every hungry child with a face like a flame.  It only requires that we perceive the person standing right in front of us.” In a Heartbeat, Sharing the Power of Cheerful Giving

Yesterday I received an email from the woman who has unknowingly taught me about giving. A woman who has always taught by example and continually given love, help, and kindness freely.  I thought I would share the email with you:

Noticed you posted on your blog about the idea of giving…..I don’t want to be identified by name…but thought since you had that blog that I would tell you what I did…  I was shopping at The Dollar Store when I happened to encounter a young mother with an infant and a 3 yrs old girl.  The little infant was cranky and as I passed them I asked how old he was, and the mother said 5 wks.  The mother did not smile and seemed to be under stress.  The little girl kept saying, “Mommie, look…can I have that?”  As I left them, I thought ….hey, I have $50 in my billfold hidden for emergency…just maybe… I said a prayer, hoping to do right and not make them on the defensive.  As I saw them awhile later down the aisle, I approached her and said, “Your family is so cute, would you let me treat yourself and buy some things for them…I would so enjoy it”.  She looked at the $50 bill and just hugged me…saying, “You have no idea what this means to me!”.   At that particular time, with her squeeze and the desperate sound in her voice, I wished I had 10 times that much to give to her….Moral of the story…if your gut feelings tells you something….do it!!!!!  

In In a Heartbeat Leigh Ann Tuhoy explained how they developed their philosophy on giving: “we agreed that by embracing a smaller and more cheerful kind of giving, we might ease a lot of everyday problems.”

Writing this post has allowed me to reflect for a moment about how lucky I am.  Regardless of the student loans I worry about I never go hungry, I never miss a meal, I have presents under my tree, and I never have to decide whether to go without a necessity.  Be thankful today, be giving today and ease an everyday problem that many of us have never had to consider.