I read this story this morning in the book "The Heart of Goodness". I wanted to share it with you. Boyd Ware vividly remembers the moment when he learned the meaning of giving: "When I was a boy," he recalls, "my parents asked me and my two brothers to help create a Christmas for a family in need by choosing among our own toys ones that would be just right for the children in this family. After choosing, we would work as a family to repair and clean up the toys. And at first the project sounded like fun.
"But to be honest, when it came to giving up our own personal toys, we began to lose enthusiasm. Silently, we boys thought, 'Why do we have to do this?' However, once we became involved in the project, we became excited - almost as though we were experiencing what the family would feel on Christmas morning.
"The weeks of preparation went by quickly and soon it was Christmas Eve. Just after dark we loaded boxes of presents and food into the car and drove to the family's home. Dad let us take the boxes to the door while he and Mom remained in the car. Dad parked the car just out of sight, but close enough to the scene that he and Mom could see what happened."
Ware and his brothers placed the boxes on the porch, knocked, and then ran, diving behind some nearby bushes. They were out of breath as the porch light came on. Describing subsequent events, Ware relates:
"As we watched, I saw one head peak out through the glass pane in the door. Soon more heads appeared and the door opened a little, then closed. Not long after, the door opened again and I could hear excited voices. Once more the door closed, and when it opened this time, even more heads appeared. Then the door opened a final time and the kids scampered out. They surrounded the boxes placed on the porch, excitedly talking about them. Finally, they took the boxes inside.
"It seemed like forever, but it was probably only a few moments later that the door opened again, this time just part way. The mother of the family appeared and, with a voice that conveyed deep gratitude, she called out into the night: 'Thank you! thank you! Whoever you are!'
"Her words lingered in the air for a moment and then the door closed, the light went out, and she was gone. Tears were pouring down my face as I turned to my brothers and discovered they were also crying."
Ware continues: "After remaining in the bushes a few minutes to compose ourselves, we went back to the car. Very little was said for we, as a family, had seen and felt the same things and what we witnessed seemed almost sacred. I'll never forget my feelings when the mother called out to us. Her words penetrated my heart, forever changing the way I felt about life. It was at that moment I discovered how good it felt to give. I'd never really ever sacrificed anything before, or given of myself, and this was the first time I'd ever done something important for someone else.
"I don't remember the toys I received that Christmas - it hardly seemed important. I had received the most precious gift. I had received the gift of giving."
"The only things we ever keep are what we give away." Louis Ginsburg
"The miracle is this - the more we share, the more we have." Leonard Nimoy
