The Art of Giving .... A Story of Propagation

Several years ago, I was quietly handed an article from a colleague, who said "You'll understand this."  I took the photocopy of the periodical page and read 'the happiest people are those who give without thought ... give beyond what they need to give ... and give without wanting anything in return.'  I took his gesture as a compliment, as it was intended, as said theory is a belief of mine.

I volunteer each August at the office, to create a display for the school supply collection which staff is encouraged to participate in.  As is the norm, some staff give generously and others make no qualms about their annoyance that they are being encouraged to give once again to a charitable cause.  We are fortunate and generously compensated employees, and therefore have the resources to gift the less fortunate.

So yesterday, after many hours of planning and work, I finished the school supply collection display.  But as you've surmised, there is more to this story of giving.  A story of how giving, in and of itself, encourages more acts of giving until many are touched by what starts as one gesture.

After weeks of thinking and browsing ... the theme for the display slowly and painfully evolved until it came full circle back to my cubicle at work. Many themes were developed then discarded, until I was ultimately drawn back to the messages of Dr. Seuss and the poster in my cubicle with the quote from The Lorax.  "Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not."  I believe so passionately in these words ... I keep them displayed, as a reminder to me and hopefully an inspiration to others to experience the joy in giving.  (I hope I have converted a few .. no one can be sure)

Back to the display.  It all started like this ....

Vacation had officially commenced at 2PM yesterday and I wanted this task completed.  The work was slow because every detail was manually crafted as is my preference.  The tissue paper puffs folded and secured and fluffed. The pots anchored with bricks into which dowels were inserted onto which foam noodles added and topped with the airy colorful tissue paper creations.  (aka Truffala trees from The Lorax movie)  The banner flags designed in Publisher, printed, cut out, then arranged and taped and strung and hung. 

During this process, the office building's night cleaning manager, Lisa, walked past periodically and said Hello. At 7PM, her dinner break, she stopped and said ... "You have a fourth pot, why don't you cut one of the flower stems in half, make a new tissue topper and have four pots - 2 short and two tall."  GREAT IDEA !! I replied.  To which she gladly continued,  "And, put a Dr. Seuss character atop each of the tissue poofs.  And get the Lorax quote from your cubicle and add it to the display. And put a skirt at the bottom of the screen to hide the legs to give it more polish."  "You want staff to know the donated items are intended to go into the pots  .. so use "Things" (Dr. Seuss characters) to give this direction."  Thankfully, I suddenly felt reinvigorated with Lisa's ideas.

I create my displays, detail by detail and build as I go.  Quite opposite, Lisa creates a vision in one fell swoop of the eye.  I raced to my cubicle and ran to a couple of stores to pick-up the items Lisa had mentioned.  At my computer,  arrows and "Things" we're created to display on the pots..  As I worked on poofing tissue paper for the newly thought of fourth "Truffala" - I exclaimed to Lisa ... "Your ideas ... now you create YOUR vision."  Lisa went to work and transformed my display into a little bit of magical wonder.  There were Dr. Seuss character faces peeping out of unexpected places ... the pots were transformed with arrows and "Things" ... and the three Truffala trees magically reproduced into four.  The simple movie screen background was given an updated polish with the addition of a skirt to hide the legs ... as Lisa worked, details materialized, enhancing what I had started.

But (there is always a BUT) during this collaborative process, the melding of talents, something bothered me.  Lisa would periodically comment, "I am not just a cleaning lady, but that is all the people in this building know of me."  I could sense it was a hurt she carried that her worth was limited to "cleaning up after those with better jobs."  I feebly replied that I have known, through our conversations over the years, that she is a woman of many interests and loves and talents.  However, now, as she was helping me, the building was empty of staff.  No one would see Lisa's hands busy at work materializing a vision that she alone had spawned, a creative venture that building staff and guests would view for the coming month.

I GAVE my time and money to create a display to encourage staff to GIVE school supplies to children in need.  Lisa came to me and freely GAVE her ideas to enhance the display ... and now I needed to GIVE to Lisa that which she was lacking ... the respect of being a smart, hardworking, multi-talented woman.

I have started by writing this blog tribute to Lisa, which may or may not be read by anyone.  It is my quiet, personal acknowledgement to Lisa that I KNOW she is more than just a cleaning lady.  Next I'll go into the office on Monday and write a brief email to our staff volunteer committee, NEON, and ask folks to take a moment as they leave in the evening, to thank Lisa for her whimsical ideas and handiwork that are now gracing our large and grand lobby.  If only a handful of staff take the time to speak to and thank Lisa ... she will know I "gave" her credit where credit was due.  And in doing so, I will be the recipient of many warm feelings knowing that the pathway of kindness is once again branching out in new directions and souls who need touching are being touched.   For this is "The Art of Giving."

And this post cannot close without a special thanks to Dr. Seuss for his inspiring words and "gentle nudges" !