This afternoon* hubby-to-be and I joined his colleagues for
a volleyball match in aid of Puttinu
Cares, a foundation that helps children suffering from cancer and their families.
We had a wonderful afternoon laughing with friends and competing against each
other (his team won, damn it) and we
hope our contribution can make a difference, no matter how small.
Throughout the match I kept thinking about the meaning of
charity. We often donate to good causes, mostly locally, as we feel we can have
a greater – and more visible – impact by helping those in our own community. Don’t
get me wrong, it’s not that we don’t care about the victims of tsunamis and
hurricanes, but there are so many locals who need help. Doesn’t it make more
sense to focus on them first? I don’t mean to write anything controversial, but
after all this is our little world.
And as much as we’d like to help everyone everywhere, it’s physically and
financially impossible. We need to make choices in life.
The big question is: why
do we help others, for their benefit or for ours? And why do we feel better
about our efforts when we see tangible results? Although I hate to admit it, I
must say helping others makes me feel
good about myself. Seeing the results of my benevolence gives me a sense of
pride. It’s a little ego boost. It’s not the main reason why I like to help,
but it does play its part. I’m sure I sound like a horrible person now, but
deep down I know many of you agree that there’s no such thing as a selfless
act.
I translated a text about the importance of recognition the
other day. The bottom line was that the advantages of a little pat on the back
are often overlooked. Recognition is something that we don’t merely like to
receive, we also enjoy praising ourselves for our kindness and our apparent righteousness. Regardless of the reasons for your support to
charitable organisations, never stop giving. Someone somewhere will be
grateful.
* I’m not a time traveller… I
posted this on Saturday evening.
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