Why Not Be Generous and Show Kindness?

It would make the world better

When you are blessed with abundance, or even if that is not the case, why not try to be generous and kind? Why not share a little of what you have and show kindness to others? It isn’t hard to do and could be beneficial to friends and family or even strangers. Perhaps you are already doing it.

A man who had fallen upon hard times told his story. Although he had previously had more than enough money, he was having financial problems which made it difficult for him to keep up on his bills. He asked his cousin for a loan of several thousand dollars to tide him over and help him pay some bills during a rough period. The cousin, who was worth millions, refused with the explanation that he had made it a practice to never lend out money. He said he needed to keep the money for his family.

A few thousand dollars would not make a dent in the financial well being of someone who has millions. Yet this person was unwilling to help out a relative. Families should be willing to help each other out through hard times.

When the coronavirus pandemic started to take over everyone’s lives, my nephew sent out an email to the extended family. He asked if anyone needed help or if anyone were willing to help others financially to email him privately. He said he would make arrangements to help anyone who needed it and probably to offer financial assistance himself. I don’t believe anyone responded that they needed help although some people said that was a good idea. It was thoughtful of him to think of others and be willing to help.

Warren Buffet, who has long been one of the richest people in the world, has encouraged his fellow billionaires to give away their money. Rich people often start foundations to help people in need. These are worthy gestures from wealthy people, but there may be something we can all do. Sometimes the people closest to you are the ones you could help out most. Families should be concerned with each other. They should be happy to help if a situation warrants it and they are financially able to do so.

During World War II, Americans of Japanese heritage were extremely persecuted and were even stripped of their freedom. They were incarcerated in camps which had been built in remote and desolate areas of the country. They were forcibly removed from their homes on the West Coast of the United States with little time to prepare. Most of them lost everything.

Some of them had neighbors or friends who said they would take care of their property and belongings while they were imprisoned. Some of the Japanese Americans entrusted their possessions to people they thought were their friends. Most returned to find nothing remained.

A few families returned after the war ended to find that kind neighbors had been true to their word. They had taken care of their property. They then shared what they had with the displaced persons who returned after years of being incarcerated. The Japanese Americans lost their homes and lived in barracks in the camps, but some were fortunate enough to return to kindness.

Lending money is not always a good thing. If a person wants to help someone out, they could give them a loan. However, the person providing the money should probably not plan on having the money returned. If it is paid back, that would be a bonus. It could be considered as a kindness and a good deed.

It is gratifying to see so many people giving to strangers through Go Fund Me pages and similar websites. When a problem arises within a family, someone often sets up such a page to solicit donations from friends and strangers. The story resonates with people, and they donate money to the cause. Some recent huge donations were received by the George Floyd Family and others who suffered tragedies.

Sharing what one has need not be that difficult. It is not easy to ask for help or feel like you have to beg for help during hard times. If someone requests a helping hand, why not share what you have and show kindness. Or better yet, why not give a helping hand when someone does not ask. There are lots of homeless people with whom we could share a little bit of what we have.

There is a lot of hate in this world. It would make the world a better place if more people would be willing to share and show kindness. Almost everyone can be more generous and kind.

[Thanks for reading this. Some of the information came from Internet sources. If you would like to learn more about the Japanese American experience, you can get a free ebook of The Japanese American Story As Told Through A Collection of Speeches and Articles via email request to: [email protected]]