The Spirit of Giving

I know that I have been bombarded with options for donating money for the hurricane victims. I’m online constantly, I’ve been watching the news, and I’m connected with the amazing and generous knitblogging community. But I got to thinking that maybe some people just haven’t been asked to donate. Maybe they want to donate but don’t know how. Or maybe they’ve already donated but wouldn’t mind donating again. So, I asked Dale what he thought about taking up a collection at his concert this past Sunday night and he agreed that it was a great idea. I thought maybe we would get $100 or $200. Imagine my surprise and delight to collect this:

That’s what $360.40 looks like. And that’s what the fans of Dale and the Duds donated for Katrina Relief.

Now, I’ve sold plenty of raffle tickets over the years and been involved with various fundraisers. But I’ve never asked people to just hand over money and I honestly wasn’t sure how they would react. I thought I might feel weird or shy but people were overwhelmingly generous and there was nothing awkward about it. Nearly everyone there gave something.

You know what I didn’t anticipate? How incredible it would make me feel to collect this money. The generosity and charity of others – when it stares you right in the face – is pretty amazing. There was the gentleman in the wheelchair, who had limited use of his hands but still managed to put his money in the bag. There were countless little children eagerly handing over dollar bills. There were families and old people and young adults all giving generously.

As I walked through the crowd I could hear parents explaining to their children what the collection was for and how it would help. I could hear conversations about what it must be like for the victims and how it must feel to lose everything. And I contemplated how lucky I am to be whole and safe. I have a home and my family and my pets while so many others have lost everything.

And while I collected those donations I was given an incredible gift for my own self. I realized that the human spirit is generous and loving and kind. People are good and when we all work together we can accomplish great things.