While I was working on a report today I came across a picture of a beautiful pair of Celine Shoes on the web. It took me back through time. In all the years of our lives, there are certain moments that never fail to put a smile on our face. Like a pair of Red Shoes for instance; it was possibly one of the most wonderful gifts I ever received in my life.
Now what makes a gift so memorable? It definitely depends on the person who gives it along with the situational factors entwined with it. What is important is not exactly the gift itself but the purpose behind it. One would say “it’s the thought behind it that counts”.
A survey conducted by Barlow T. Mann under the auspices of the National Committee on Planned Giving (NCPG) in 2000 revealed that the desire to create a lasting memorial for oneself or a loved one motivates almost anyone human. From a graph compiled from the survey, it can be seen that a desire to give to support charity is about 97%, compared to 33% for creating a memorial for loved one and a mere 13% as a desire to give to friends and family. It thus makes me wonder that if a person can spend so much, giving wonderful gifts to known people on occasions, that person is also capable of giving a lot to charity. This country certainly needs more people like that.
Philosopher Ann Rand, states that philanthropic giving does not exist. She feels that we give gifts to others to satisfy one basic need in ourselves." The need to feel personal gratification about the physical art of giving and the emotional art of being remembered"!
I believe that we should all enjoy the art of giving! It doesn't really have to be restricted to monetary endowments, it could be as simple as a flash of smile. There might be someone out there who might always remember you for your simple generosity, perhaps throughout their life !
