As we were enjoying a fantabulous! Sunday morning breakfast at a local jaunt (Gusto) in South Perth this morning with family – I did go to Pilates first! – we took the time to consider together what we think generosity looks like:
My man, Mark, reflected to say, “I always see kindness as generosity. It’s giving of our time, giving space for people…”
My brother, Phil, recalled a time when he visited friends who were opening another great cafe in the area, Halo. He said, “I couldn’t do much to help but I had $10 on me so I bought a coffee and then tipped the rest to the kitty.” We talked about generosity not being defined by how much we had, but acknowledging what we did have in our hands, what we could do, and give a bit of that away.
My daughter, Tayla who is 10 years of age said, “It’s helping others and taking the time to do stuff for others and not just yourself. Even if its helping doing the washing up so it gives others time to do what they need to do.” I loved this.
For me I think generosity often comes down to believing the best in people, and giving people the benefit of the doubt when it comes to their actions and motives. Obviously wisdom prevails here, but generosity towards others, especially those who are close to us; family, those we work and interact with can at times be difficult. Believe the best first, Penny. It’s something that is not always easy to choose but I believe all parties benefit if we can.