A currency of the heart

Currency of the heart

Which holiday present has the highest approval rating? Money, of course.”                                                          ~ Facebook (the knower of all things)

Facebook is the social media arbiter of….everything. So open-wide your wallets, credit cards, Venmo, PayPal, and receive true approval from the media god, Facebook, for your holiday charitable contributions on Giving Tuesday, Post-Thanksgiving. My email inbox is now filled to the gills with requests to support: UNICEF; the International Red Cross, Heifer International, the Innocence Project, Color of Change….

STOP! If there were hills around here, I’d be hightailing it in their direction, unaccompanied by any of my mobile devices connecting to email!

Experiencing email solicitation overload on Giving Tuesday. Truth. Filled with guilt. If I had beaucoup bucks, my fingers would be dancing over the “donate” buttons for all the causes listed above (and so many more.) But I don’t have beaucoup bucks. I have, I hope, a generous spirit, but not the financial wherewithal to donate to all the charities that have captured my heart. I don’t. I do wish. I certainly contribute here and there. Still, it seems like a pittance and I feel as if I’m a coward running from ALL the requests in my email inbox. No, no, here comes another one!! Run! Shrinking into a metaphorical fetal ball. Feeling as if I want to close my eyes to the financial need of others and judging myself for not having beaucoup bucks to sate so much need surrounding us.

Deep breath. Another deep breath...

Whew. Beginning to face myself. (Mostly.) There is, undeniably, deep need in the world. But often it seems as if the only currency of support that truly matters, especially during the holidays, is the green stuff. You know, this stuff - $$$ - the one Facebook identifies as holding their highest holiday approval rating. (And Facebook knows everything, right?)

But let's also acknowledge another shadow “currency” on Giving Tuesday. Walking alongside people - a “currency” of the heart. This currency of the heart tends to be much less visible - but no less valuable. Acknowledging the hearts (and hurts) of others, on an everyday basis, is also a powerful medium of support. A currency that makes contributions to the support of others, well beyond Giving Tuesday (and the limitations of one’s wallet.) Well beyond. Lifting people up in a multitude of ongoing, teeny-tiny, oh-so ordinary ways. And I do mean teeny-tiny, so don’t go running off in fear of one more onerous thing I’m suggesting you do!

Teeny-tiny?  It’s the power of throwing one small pebble into a pond and watching as the myriad ripples flow off into apparent infinity. Acts that seem oh-so-tiny, but often carry the human spirit of the receiver much, much farther, than we’ll ever know.

Such as?

*Asking others about their lives rather than just talking about our own;

*Smiling and saying thank you to every single person behind the counter at any store we visit (try it, you might enjoy it.)

*Scattering kindness like confetti. Wave your magic wand (didn’t know you had one, did you?) and see what facets of kindness emerge. This is actually a twofer, since you’re surprising the recipient AND yourself with the outcome.

Now that we’ve had this little chat, how does it feel to be seen and acknowledged as a giving human being, with or without the presence of financial resources? (Hint: I feel great!) Our generosity is not dampened by the constraints of a budget-minded wallet. Nope. Not at all. Our hearts and spirits can be generous, on a daily basis, all without making our respective wallets run for the hills!

So take that, Facebook!!