The Golden Ladder of Giving

1. To give reluctantly, the gift of the hand, but not of the heart.
2. To give cheerfully, but not in proportion to need.
3. To give cheerfully and proportionately, but not until solicited.
4. To give cheerfully, proportionately, and unsolicited, but to put the gift
into the poor person's hand, thus creating shame.
5. To give in such a way that the distressed may know their benefactor,
without being known to him or her.
6. To know the objects of our bounty, but remain unknown to them.
7. To give so that the benefactor may not know those whom he has relieved,
and they shall not know him.
8. To prevent poverty by teaching a trade, setting a person up in business,
or in some other way preventing the need of charity.

--Maimonides--

Yesterday was one of those days that started out all wrong.  We all have those days when we would like to go to bed and start the day all over again.  It started when I was ready to leave the house for work;  the sky opened up and torrents of rain began coming down.  There was no way I was going to make it to the train station without getting a good drenching.  Had I been on my way home, it would have been another story.   I would have loved racing through the rain.  One can always strip off the wet clothes when they get home, but I was on my way TO work,  and who wants to sit in wet clothes all day with central air chilling your body through and through? 

Got to the train station and my Metrocard didn't work.  The transit clerk hands me a form and says 'Fill it out and send it to the MTA to get your money back.'  Last time I did that it took me six months to hear from the MTA, but, oh well, what can I do?  Laid out $20 which I really didn't have to spend for a new card.  Got off the train and stopped at the ONLY place left to get my iced coffee and they had no ice.  'No ice in the middle of summer?' I grumble, and to myself, 'the other store always had ice.  Too bad they had to close.' 

But then, the day began, and I had woman's group to run, and yesterday, I had brought them a surprise.  I've been sorting and heaving at home and decided that all of my pretty little bracelets could be put to better use than sitting around in my closet...so I brought the ladies a gift.  I spilled the shopping bag out onto the table and told them that 'someone' had donated them.  There had to have been 50 bracelets.   (At one time they were one of my addictions).  Oh, if you could have seen how excited they were...these ladies who have nothing really to call their own.  

It was such a good feeling to do something nice for someone, to give without expecting anything in return.  It put a smile on my face,  and all else, all the ills of the morning, were forgotten.  In 'giving' I had been 'given' in return...and all was right with the world. 

Cheerful givers do not count the cost of what they give. Their hearts are seton pleasing and cheering the person to whom the gift is given.

-Julian of Norwich-