My wife and I are charitable people. We give our time and money to causes that matter to us. For the last few years we have been giving to food charities. We eat very well – it’s a priority of ours. I have documented in the past how much we enjoy food and the recipes we have created so I will spare you the details. Dinner most days of the week is an event because we believe food is to be enjoyed thoroughly. But we are acutely aware that for some people food is not fun. For some parents simply the thought of feeding the family is a source of unbearable stress. We live in a wonderful country where for some reason people go hungry night after night and that, in our opinion, is not acceptable. So we give to food banks that can leverage their volume of food purchases for the greater good. Giving canned goods is great, but giving cash to a reputable food bank is even better.
Charity does not stop at canned food and cash. And charity is not and should not be limited to adults. If your little spoiled rotten children (mine included) don’t learn from young that the act of giving feels good and helps people, then they are destined to be the creators of the next big life shattering Ponzi scheme. OK, perhaps the outcome will not be that dramatic, but they may not fully value their connection to the community they live in and the larger world that we all share. Since Dev was about three we have had him give away some of his gently used clothes and toys and he has done so willingly with zest and joy…
Until this year.
I think that part of his “mine” mentality is him being 6, and another part is him being an only child. I would also argue that part of it is learning from wily media sources, and society on the whole, that having stuff is much better than not having stuff. While that may be true to an extent giving stuff trumps it all. He cried when we suggested he give away a couple of toy trucks that were virtually new because he never played with them. They were huge and cool and untouche