Generosity consists not the sum given, but the manner in which it is bestowed. -Unknown
This week someone wowed me with generosity in such a way that I will never forget. I was in the office of a friend and mentor who for years has kept a beautiful brass cross, adorned with fleur de lys and pearls, at the left corner of her desk. Fleur de lys, pearls and crosses are among some of my favorite things in the world, and this mentor knew it. Without thought or intention, I complimented the cross — every time I see it, its’ beauty strikes me so that I have to touch it or say something about it — and without hesitation, my mentor gave it to me. I resisted, of course, and adamantly at that, but she insisted and wanted to pass it on to me.
My new BEAUTIFUL cross.
That act of generosity made me feel like I had won the lottery without having had even played. It surprised me so that I was actually a little shaken up for a moment. It was literally like someone giving me the shirt off their own back, and as the opening quotation of this post cites, generosity consists most in the “manner in which it is bestowed.”
Honor those you love and respect through your generosity; you never know the impact that small acts of kindness might have upon them.