GIVING: Give to Give
Give to give
Not to receive
Give to give, because you want to
Not because you have to
Give to give
Not for what you hope to get in return
Give to give
Not to manipulate or demonstrate
or make out that you’re nicer than you are
Giving is good
But a few things should be understood…
Expectations lead to disappointments
And disappointments lead to a whole lot else
Give to give
to open doors
Not to close them
Giving for getting is only upsetting
Giving for attention, a bad intention
No one should owe you
And not everyone has to know you
Make dinner
Invite visitors
Buy gifts
Baby-sit
Do whatever it takes
Makes you and/or others happy
But, be aware of the stakes
Give to give, not to receive
or for what it’s hoped others may perceive
Sometimes we give more than we get
Other times we get more than we give
There’s givers and takers
And those who are neither
Offer only what you can
No need to be better than
Regret leads to upset
Better left unexpressed
Making others feel guilty for what you’ve given
undoes any good done
Is worse than not giving at all
Giving is an art at which some excel
Some don’t
Knowing about giving
And growing through giving
Makes life worth living
For all of us…
There are many perspectives on "giving," and this poem offers but a few. As with most everything, it’s important to take responsibility and make the extra effort to do the right thing, individually as well as together. By coincidence, Former President, Bill Clinton, was interviewed on the Today Show, today, about his new book, GIVING: How Each of Us Can Change the World.
