“The habit of giving only enhances the desire to give.”

— Walt Whitman

Do we really need a reason to be generous?

To remember the fallen on 9/11, my kind action was to bring donuts to the office this morning. One of my co-workers asked me, “What’s the occasion?” It was an “obvious” question. It’s a common question to ask when someone does something unexpectedly nice.

Thinking back over the years, I’m sure that I’ve either been asked, or have asked someone else that exact question under similar circumstances. It’s so common, I didn’t even question it until this evening.

But why is it so common to expect a reason for generosity? Is doing something decent for someone else – a small act of compassion, courtesy, or generosity for no reason on an average Tuesday – that different, that out of the ordinary, that weird?

I guess so. But maybe it doesn’t have to be. Or, maybe generosity is it’s own reason. If I could afford to bring donuts to work every day, it would look pretty ordinary after awhile. But it would probably make people feel pretty good every day (even if we all gained a few extra pounds). Perhaps that is reason enough.

Being generous with your time (or money, if you can afford it) won’t look weird if you do it every day. It will just become part of the ordinary you.

The extraordinary you.

Yesterday’s gift of time … In memory of those fallen on 9/11, brought donuts for my co-workers. It was, I guess, out of the ordinary.