AN APPROACH TO GIVING

My idea and which I even do now is give out a fair amount of money, well for an average person anyway;  but, my experience has been if you run across someone in need, $20 or $40 or fifty or a hundred dollars might not have much meaning to us but to someone on the edge, it is "found money" and makes a little difference. Here's an example of my thinking, my grandson and I were at this little park at Pier 39 last week. He is almost three running around--this little kid, maybe twelve, just jabbering away. I'm being a little cautious as crazies are everywhere and I don't want people to think I'm one of them; this is a stranger kid but I talk to her while watching James Raz, my grandson. She tellse they are in San Francisco because she won a contest in the state on history something. Not totally sure of all the details. San Francisco was the prize. I think they were from San Diego. "What was your history project?", I asked her. Her grandfather was a Marine on Iwo Jima and she collected old photos, letters, created this historical display. It won the contest. Needless to say I was impressed. The father came over. We chatted. I said to him, I am so proud of your daughter. Would you feel insulted or badly if I gave her a few dollars with which she can buy something special. He allowed how it was not nessary. "I know but I would like to do this as it is the only thing I can do to show my appreciation." I gave her my fifty dollar bill that I always keep for emegencies. In my thinking, this 50 bucks was nothing or little to me but to them, it was fifty dollars they would not have had. Did I feel good? Sure. (You could psychobabble that to death.)  Was it my need to do it more than their need to have it?  Sure.  I'm just thankful I can. Other than my tithe, I rarely give other than to individuals. Well, that's not totally true now that I'm thinking about it. But, it is a lot. I sound like I'm Warren Buffett or something. I'm not but have ended up at this stage of life with more disposalable income than I deserve.