Generosity

I forgot my wallet when I left the house the other day. I managed to scrounge up enough money from my tip cup to buy Nate a cookie at the café, but that was about all I was going to be buying for that outing.

On the way home Nate insisted we stop off at the pet store to get a treat for Snoopy. I reminded him that I did not have any money on me, but he was adamant, so I obliged him.

After playing fetch the ball with a member of the staff, Nate picked out a chew stick and said “I get this for Snoopy.”

What follows is the rest of our conversation:

Me: We can’t get that today Nate, I don’t have my wallet so I can’t pay for it.

Nate: But I want to get this for Snoopy.

Me: I know and that’s really nice of you, but I don’t have money to pay for it.

Nate: I have some money dad, it’s OK.

Me: I don’t think that’s going to be enough (as he fished a quarter out of his pocket)

Nate: It’s alright dad, we can go home and get some more money from my piggy bank and then we can buy Snoopy a treat!

At that point there was a collective ‘Awwwwwww!’ from everyone who was within earshot.

The first entry for 2009

I had intended to write a summary of the year past, a review of the highs and lows of 2008, for my first entry for 2009. As I sat down to gather my thoughts, it became obvious to me that I had far more lows than highs. This has probably more to do with my make-up than the year that was 2008. Nevertheless, I became overwhelmed by it all and gave up, despaired by the task at hand and the state of the world.

It got me thinking about why we wish people a happy new year. Are we just so relieved to have got through another year that this is cause for celebration? Or is it a misguided or naïve hope that the changing of a number on the calendar will bring better things with it? I wonder if people on the Gaza Strip were wishing each other a happy new year?

Time will roll on, and most of us will do what we can to hang on for the ride. There will always be things happening around us that are beyond our sphere of influence. But maybe it's enough to do what we can to make things better in that sphere. Perhaps if there were more of these small spheres of good everywhere, they'd eventually overlap and become bigger. I realize I may be sounding naïve here, and uncharacteristically optimistic. Who knows, things could just get better!

Happy new year!