Their joy, that’s the gift to you

It’s the season of giving, which can come in many forms. We may purchase gifts for our family and friends. We may give the gift of time to causes we care about. We may cook or make things to share. We may entertain or otherwise open our homes to people in our lives who need our company.

Some may feel the Christmas holiday has become too commercialized and profit-oriented with gifts becoming too much of the focus, but maybe we should reconsider.

Earlier this week I watched a heartwarming story on the power of giving on CBS Sunday Morning: The Secret Santa Club. It profiles an elementary school class in Arizona, which decides to raise thousands of dollars and then give it all away to random strangers in their community. “Their joy…that’s the gift to you,” one student says.

There is joy in giving, maybe even more for the giver than the receiver. True joy lies in the act of giving without an expectation of receiving something in return.

A Chinese proverb says: “If you always give, you will always have.” No matter what our circumstance, color or creed, we all have the power to give something—could be time, skills, knowledge, wisdom, compassion, wealth or love.

Joy to the world, the Christmas carol says. Yes.