Going to work with my dad on Christmas Eve is what I look forward to the most on the jolliest day of the year. Not opening presents, or sitting by the fire watching Christmas movies, or eating delicious food (okay maybe eating delicious food tops it), but sitting in my dad's office building trying to find ways to entertain myself. One Christmas Eve a couple years ago, I plunked myself down on the floor of my dad's office and rummaged through his desk while he made phone calls and did whatever work wealth management advisers do on Christmas. In one drawer, I came across mugs overflowing with spare change that he had collected over the years. Having nothing better to do, I organized the coins by value and counted how much money my dad had stashed away in his desk, forgotten for all this time. It totaled over $200 dollars.
Being in the Christmas spirit, I hauled a small child sized bag of that change down to the first Salvation Army bucket I could find and spent the next half hour putting each and every single one of those coins in. I think the bell ringer almost passed out in amazement.
Since then, I have given a few dollars and cents here and there, but nothing substantial. I guiltily walk by the the bell ringers every time I see them, knowing that I have so much more than any of the people the money would go to help. Sometimes I'm too cold, or too selfish of my time, or just too uncomfortable to contribute. I think about how great I felt, using something that wouldn't make a difference to me to completely change a complete stranger's Christmas. I could spare a few seconds and get that feeling again, but I don't.
Changing a complete stranger's day is one of the easiest things you can do. It is one of those situations that can always be a win-win, leaving them maybe with a full tummy for once and you with a good feeling from helping someone out. It's not hard, yet we rarely do it. We choose to ignore what we can't see always but know is always there. Why? Why do we choose to avoid something we know that will make us feel better about ourselves? It is a question that we must all answer for ourselves. We all have our reasons, but they all have one thing in common. They are selfish. One minute of your time and one dollar out of your wallet barely phases you, yet it completely changes some other person's life. Why isn't that enough?
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