Generosity is Caught, Not Taught

One of our six-year-olds, Finn, has a selfish streak in him. While Pax is always quick to share and give, Finn likes when things are about Finn. He’s less likely to share, more likely to take, and prefers when people bend their will to his desires. I’m sure many parents can relate to this story.

Finn has his own Christmas tree on his nightstand. It’s actually a shared tree between the two kids, but Finn is Finn. It’s a tiny little tree, obnoxiously filled to the brim with gaudy ornaments and lights. It’s very Finn-like. Yesterday morning before school, he was walking around the house with his tree’s LED star topper. When I asked what he was doing, he said, “I’m going to give this to Miss C (his teacher). Her tree needs it more than mine does.” This is one of his prized possessions! I was there when he presented this to his teacher just an hour later. She was quite taken back…..almost brought to tears. She walked him over to the classroom tree and let him place it atop. It was a very sweet moment.

To be honest, there are days when I wonder if my parenting is working in any shape or form. But I always go back to a quote I once heard, “more is caught than taught.” We as parents (or colleagues, neighbors, family members, etc.) need to remember this. We can say things until the cows come home. It may or may not make any difference….probably not. But when we live it? When we live it is when it comes alive! People are watching. People are always watching. They are watching what we do, not what we say.

Be generous. Always be generous. Then when in doubt, be generous some more. When we live in an open-handed posture of generosity, it becomes contagious. Not immediately, and not for everyone, but most certainly someone. And often, it’s the people we spend the most time with.

Dear God, please let my kids see, feel, and own the spirit of generosity - today and always. Amen!