Generosity
	Generosity is the willingness to give or share.  It is a wonderful quality that should be demonstrated daily.  Through generosity we are able to rise above pettiness and see the good qualities in people.  Generosity can be powerful enough to abolish greed, but only when every person decides to join forces and allow their generosity to unfold, even in times when it takes a little more effort.
	It doesn't always take a lot of time, money, or labor to make generous contributions.  Sometimes simply sharing a smile or a hug is the best way to help someone.  Smiles and hugs don't cost much and almost always are given right back.  People who enjoy these privileges often may not stop to think about the little old lady next door whose family seldom visits.   How hard would it really be to offer her a hug and possibly create a little happiness for her?  Sparing time once a week to carry out her garbage is also a hospitable deed that she would probably appreciate.  When small acts of kindness like these are performed, the generosity is mutual.  Not only does it make another being feel good, but also it is self-rewarding.  Besides, you never know, your neighbor lady may feel so good about your benevolence that she may share a homemade apple pie with you.
	Have you ever seen the little, dirty-faced children climbing on and over the riding horses outside of the supermarkets, begging their mommy for a quarter and being denied?  The cheer that you can bring to those tiny faces by merely placing a quarter on the start box is such a reward for your generosity.  Then there are the neighborhood children who light up and feel so special when offered a delicious popsicle on a hot day.  And to be greathearted enough to laugh at their jokes, no matter how many times you have already heard them, is also rewarding.  It helps to build their confidence and it shows them that they have a friend in you.   After all, by sharing with the children, aren't we teaching future generosity?
	Generosity is helping a neighbor cut his lawn.  It is offering to take someone to an appointment when her car is broken down.  It is baking a cake for someone's birthday or sending a get-well card.  Generosity is sharing your chocolate bar, washing dishes when it isn't your turn, and saying "thank-you."  It is a special act of kindness and a wanting to share.  It is the unselfish readiness to give to others without the expectance of something in return.
	Generosity is a two-way street, which should always be traveled both ways.  Everyone enjoys a visit, but too often become unwilling to travel the distance themselves.  When this happens, it turns generosity, a quality of sharing, into greed, a characteristic of selfishness.  We need to be careful not to let this happen. After all, generosity is a gift that God was generous enough to give us to make the world a happier place.
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