After the birth of my first son, I found my spirit of generosity disappearing. This happened for a couple of reasons. First, I found myself forgetful and fuzzy-headed most days. And second, my husband and I had given up my income in order for me to stay home for a bit. So not only did we cut our monthly income in half, we were now trying to feed, clothe, and care for more people with that diminished income.
A year later, I was working part-time but didn’t find my sense of generosity increasing. The excuses ranged from, “Well, we need to build our savings account back up” to “We might have another kid sometime, so I can’t possibly part from the fifty pairs of 0-3 month pjs in his closet.” With my second son, my excuses became a tad more legitimate, albeit still quite self-centered. I was emotionally and physically drained. Adding to this stress was the mounting medical bills. In the throws of this mess, one day I received a text from a friend. It read something like, “Left something at your door. Hope your day improves.” When I opened the door, I found two containers of homemade soup, the fixings for a salad, a loaf of French bread, and a liter of Coke.
I was amazed. My friend was a busy stay at home mother like I was at the time, and her family lived off of one income, too. And yet somehow, despite her schedule and budgetary restrictions, she made time to reach out to me and show generosity. Her thoughtful gift was simple and perfectly timed. Since that day, I’ve been viewing generosity through a different lens. Where I used to think I could show generosity “some day later when I have more money or time,” I realize that the time is now. We can all show generosity at any stage or season of life we are in. Read below for some easy, budget friendly ways we can all show more generosity.
Simple Ways to Show Generosity in Your Daily Life:
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Watch a friend’s son so that she can run errands, grab coffee, or take a nap!
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Offer another couple a night of free babysitting so they can have a date night.
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On your way to the grocery store, call up your friend who just had surgery. Does she need a gallon of milk to save her from venturing out in her condition? Offer to pick it up for her!
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Have your friend over for a meal. I used to shy away from this because I’m not the best cook, and I hate the cleaning panic that used to ensue an hour before guests arrived. No more. I want to care less about the size and appearance of my home and practice the kind of hospitality Jenny mentions in Middle of the Road Martha: Practicing Imperfect Hospitality
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Clean your friend’s house. Don’t ask her if she wants you to come help her clean. Just show up with your cleaning supplies and a mop. She’ll probably meet you with a bottle of wine and join you.
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If you are musically inclined, consider offering to teach a friend’s child a musical instrument. Perhaps you could even swap services (i.e. you teach her child piano, and she tutors yours in math.)
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Clean out your child’s closet and pass down his clothing to another family who could use it. Yes, I know that adorable Gymboree Outfit could make you a few bucks at a garage sale. However, the value another family would gain from receiving the clothing makes the few dollars insignificant.
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Double your family’s dinner, package half of it up, and gift it to a family who could use it.
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Do you grow a garden? Give some of your bounty to your colleague, neighbor, or friend! (For tips on growing a spectacular garden with your child’s help, check out Kate’s post here. She also has posts specific to Spring veggies and Summer gardens!)
Winston Churchill once said, “You make a living by what you get. You make a life by what you give.” Despite how it feels sometimes, generosity and frugality are not mutually exclusive, and giving can happen in the midst of all circumstances. We can all find an outlet of giving that works best for us and our families. So go out and be generous. Show love and thoughtfulness. The world needs more acts of generosity to make up for those days when life seems to send you endless curve balls.
