You
can’t bank it. You can’t hold onto
it and save it for a rainy day. In
reality, there is no need because it is an infinite resource, refillable only
when offered.
Where
I work, we are collecting for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital this
month. It is a wonderful charity. Although it’s beyond tragic when a
child is ill, it is almost unimaginable that in a wealthy country such as the
United States, (Yes, we are still wealthy), it is sickening that some families
struggling with a seriously ill child also have to worry about paying for their
care. But that’s another subject.
Back
at the store, we began collecting for this wonderful charity on October 1. No store in our chain of stores collected
before that date. Our store
manager was taking care of our very first customer on that very first day and
he asked if she would like to donate to St. Jude’s. She looked right at us and started to complain that she has
been giving in every one of our stores for the past two weeks and that she is
tapped out. Now, we both instantly
knew she was a liar. She couldn’t
have given in our store or any other one of our locations. But, we smiled our polite smiles, gave
her the change she was owed and she walked out. Although we both knew the woman was lying, my Manager
and I looked at each other and we felt sorry for her, instantly sorry. She looked so miserable, so unhappy.
Now,
it is October 17 and I have to say most customers are more than happy to donate
a dollar, some, even up to $5 or $10.
They smile, they talk of how thankful they are that their children are
healthy or how they have gone through a tragic loss of their own. Or, they don’t say anything but their
eyes are happy as they fill out the gratitude card (which is what I call it)
with a name of a particular loved one.
This
started me thinking. Why is it
that those who give seem so much happier than those who refuse? I have been mulling this over in my
mind since the collection began and have come to the realization that it is
love. People who are filled with
love want to give it. Giving makes
them happy and refills the love in their heart instantly, and that love is
reflected in their eyes. Giving a
dollar, or even $5 in the community where I live is not a hardship for most
customers. But it is particularly
exciting when I ask a teenager, who I think is going to turn me down,
give.
There
was one teenager that truly stands out in my mind. He walked up to the register with his backpack loaded, heavy
and he was buying an energy drink.
It was a particularly warm day in October and he looked
over-heated. The energy drink he
wanted cost about $2. I rang him
up and asked if he would like to donate to St. Jude’s. He looked in his wallet and only had
the money needed for his energy drink.
But, he didn’t say no. He
asked if I could stop the sale, which I did. He then put the drink back and took at 50-cent water
instead. The difference, he
donated. I told him what a
wonderful person he was and he told me that it was selfish. The water was healthier AND he could
help someone else. His eyes were
smiling.
There
are such good people in this world.
This
brings me back to love; love for our fellow human beings, whether we know them
or not.
Last
night, I was watching a talk offered by the Dalai Lama on Netflix. He was talking about compassion, about
love, about how there is a oneness in this world that WE, ALL the people are a
part of. Naturally, there is also
a small we…groups of people who lump themselves into particular
identifications: Jews, Christians, Muslims, Americans, Asians, Blacks, Whites
etc. But really, all of these we’s make up the WE. Until WE see the
humanity in each of us, we can’t see the humanity of any of us.
The
people that are filled with compassion and love that I see in the store; they
certainly seem happier. Perhaps
they were given unconditional love from the time they were small, so they don’t
worry about it being finite. These
people build happier homes, happier communities, and happier lives – and that
happiness spreads.
Perhaps
that first customer who lied about having given before, maybe she was brought
up in a loveless home. Maybe she
has always felt she needed to struggle to get any affection. Maybe she is so miserable and lonely
that instead of realizing that holding onto her love, she is losing her ability
to receive it. I feel sad for her
and for all those who are so stingy with their humanity. I don’t mean she or anyone has to give
to be a loving person. I know we
are all asked to give to different charities all the time, and there are times
when I say no because I just can’t at that time. But there is a difference between not giving because you
can’t and not giving because you don’t sympathize with those in need, or feel
that you will be less if you give.
The
Dalai Lama in the documentary last night said, “Compassion is Love made
visible”. When WE are
compassionate, WE fill the world with the love that is so very needed. Perhaps if WE just let our
compassionate nature out, those who weren’t lucky enough to be brought up in
loving homes will receive that love from society. They will then join the compassionate ones and love will
expand even more. Wouldn’t that be
a wonderful world!!
Since
distrust and suspicion cause so much suffering in the world, and the cure for
both is love, it may sound ridiculous and simple, but for one day…just be love.
Like
John Lennon said in his most beautiful song, “imagine”!
Have
a love-filled day!
