It is Better to Give Than to Receive

“It is better to give than to receive.”

I remember being assigned a lesson in 4th or 5th grade, I cannot remember which, where I had to decide which was in fact better. 

In class we read books like “The Giver.”

In 7th or 8th grade, a few years later, I decided that there was so much to be thankful for. People in my life who I could not wait to give back to. 

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday for many reasons. One, it usually means I get to be with the ones I love, or I work and am with some of my closest friends. It is also a reminder to the rest of country what gratitude is all about. 

I believe gratitude is an attitude we must hold all year long.

Giving doesn’t always have to be done monetarily. Admittedly, I would like to give money to charitable organizations or to people I see on the streets who I know are starving or dying for a warm blanket. Giving, instead, can be through kind gestures, a simple pay it forward attitude. Start small.

1. Bring your co-worker a cup of coffee, if you know they will like it.
2. Send a friend a “just because card.” You know, through the mail. I don’t know about you but I love to get mail and I don’t always like checking my phone to see if someone thought of me today or this week. 
3. Volunteer at a local homeless shelter or soup kitchen.
4. Instead of giving the homeless person cash, give them a gift card. 
5. Pray for someone. 
6. Show someone a smile. Trust me, it will make you feel good, too. 

There are so many ways we can give back. Seeing that person smile is a gift we may then receive, and it’s simple, and free. 

It really is better to give than to receive.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone, may you be blessed and aware of your blessings, on this day, and everyday.