The Spirit of Sharing
One of the earliest lessons we learn as children is the importance of sharing.
And that’s good. Because as it turns out, sharing makes us much stronger—individually and collectively—caring for one another, pitching in and working together.
Think of the classic children’s story, “Stone Soup.”
It’s an old French tale that has been told many times over about hungry soldiers who coax stingy villagers into each pooling carrots, potatoes, meat and other foodstuffs to create a grand feast they would all share.
Not only did everyone eat well, but they enjoyed each other’s company as the soup cooked. I like to imagine those townspeople carried on the tradition—sort of like Thanksgiving for us.
And speaking of Thanksgiving, I have always appreciated the fact that Thanksgiving kicks off our nation’s year-end parade of holidays. Why? Because it’s when we first count our blessings that we experience a deep sense of gratitude and realize just how much we have. It’s out of that sense of thankfulness than many of us feel moved to give—to our family, friends, acquaintances and even strangers—at Christmas and other times.
As a fundraiser for PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center Foundation, I have the privilege of seeing how that first lesson in sharing can blossom and grow over time—sometimes in very big ways. What’s especially exciting is to see how one person’s gift can inspire generosity in others. One of my favorite examples is the Mister Union Pageant. Students from Union High School have held this fundraiser for the last three years for the Holtzman Twins Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
This past spring, 16 teens raised more than $132,000 to help moms, dads and those tiny babies born too soon to get a more comfortable start. That, to me, is powerful.
Giving is often like compound interest. It keeps going and growing as an example that inspires others to join the efforts that truly “take a village” to achieve. Learning to give at an early age is something that will pay dividends throughout our lives. One lesson we usually recognize later in life is that we usually get back far more than we ever gave.
