Nowhere in Webster’s dictionary is charity defined as the need to provide acts of kindness in exchange for personal benefit. Unfortunately, that is exactly what the word charity has come to mean. Giving and kindness should be present throughout the whole year and not just the holiday season.
There are countless tales of people helping others during this festive season, but what happened to the rest of the year? This is the only time of year that people feel compelled to act a certain way simply because of the season.
The question “What do I get out of it?” is always on our minds. Ulterior motives should not be the basis for charity and generosity. People are so caught up in finding personal gratification that they forget charitable gratification. Helping the elderly or giving when you don’t have to should be worth the good feelings and warm smiles you receive.
As young people, most of us are consumed by the here and now. Delayed gratification is nonexistent, and it shouldn’t be. The NHS and StuCo used an iPod giveaway to increase the amount of cans donated to the food drive. Most of us have expendable cans in our pantries. Why should they have to bribe us to give to those less fortunate?
We know what we’re supposed to do, but we don’t do it. We’ve been exposed to the right thing to do. Every Christmas special, children’s book and fairy tale in our pasts has had a moral, but we ignore them. The Golden Rule is to do unto others as we would have them do unto us. If we were in desperate times, we would hope that someone would help us out of the kindness of their hearts and not expect a check in the mail.
However, society has adopted and literalized the motto of “I’ll scratch your back if you scratch mine.” This manifestation is only growing, and it will only continue to consume our society.
The truth is, we need to stop focusing on ourselves. The holiday season is a time to inspire and set examples for those around us. So far, the only examples we’ve set is how we can get what we want and look good doing it.
This explains why there are so many people are depressed during this “happy” time. They are so wrapped up in finding and obtaining what they believe will make them happy that they can’t see what they have. Try being generous, thoughtful, caring and considerate without expecting a pat on the back or a $5 bill for a change. It feels good.
Take a step back, and look at the world. It’s hard to look beyond ourselves, but it gives a bigger picture of what we’re missing. Holiday cheer needs to be yearly cheer. The giving season should be every season. Helping just one person can change the world if everyone does it.
Helping others and giving is great, but it should be done for the right reasons. It’s a matter of sincerity. You shouldn’t feel obliged to help someone just because it will fill your service hours or because the right people are watching. It should be done for what it is in your heart and not for appearances.
Giving doesn’t always mean presents. Giving can be time, volunteering, random acts of kindness or even just a smile. Imagine Christmas without presents. What would you still have worth giving?
So, this holiday season, when the charity foundation calls your house, organizations ask for help or a neighbor needs a hand, think about what you have to risk before you turn them down. The answer is nothing. Giving will make your Christmas even better because you know that somewhere in the world, someone is enjoying something that you provided for them–kindness from a stranger. Every action counts.