We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post. “We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates  Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a  means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated  sites.” You can read my full disclosure by clicking on the disclosure policy in the menu above.

Update Days 5-8

As I wander through the #30DaysofGiving I am finding that I need to be very intentional about giving, as well as allow for spontaneous giving to occur. As I have mentioned in the past, I am a bit laser focused on my task list. This does not help when it comes to giving of oneself. You will see below that a few of the opportunities to give would have been missed if I were not specifically keeping giving, in all of it’s forms, top of mind.

Giving Challenge- Update

One of my Giving Heroes

This challenge has also made me really think about the giving examples I have had in my life. One person in particular has been on my mind lately. My Grandpa. He was a giver like no other. He was generous with money. I remember the time we were headed out to dinner. On the way into a restaurant, a man was begging for money. My grandfather sent us in to the restaurant, and took the man over to the grocery store. He purchased peanut butter, jelly, bread, hot dogs, and a few other necessities that would work well for a homeless person. My grandfather acted like this was a completely normal occurrence and of course, befriended the fellow.

Many times, my Grandpa would sneak out early in the morning and mow the lawns of all of the widows on the street. It took him quite some time, but they all appreciated it. Well, except for one lady. She was a bit different and kind of just pretended her lawn did not need mowing. My grandfather would just sneak over extra early, mow her lawn, and walk away. Even if she did not appreciate it, I believe all of the other neighbors did.

Thinking of our last day together

My grandfather died at 75 of a broken heart. He had taken care of my grandmother who battled various types of cancer for 35 years. They were sweethearts, and he gave her such care throughout the years. On the last day that he was alive on earth, he stopped by my apartment to help me out with a few things for which I was incredibly grateful. Then, he took me out to lunch. I was only 20 at the time. I remember on the way back from the restaurant, he handed me a $20 and said, “Jenny, take care of yourself, I love you”. When I looked into his eyes, I knew I would not see him again. My last memory of my grandpa is him helping me, spending time with me, giving me $$, and telling me he loved me.

Yes, that is who I want to be. That is what motivates me to give. My family is full of givers. It motivates me to be more like them, more loving and giving, and to take time to really reach out to others. In all truthfulness, I am now a bit teary. I sure miss my Grandpa, but I am glad his legacy lives on. Here are the acts of giving I have did Days 5-9 on the #30DaysofGiving Challenge.

Pictures of my Grandma and Grandpa

Day 5, a little outside my comfort zone

Let me preface Day 5 by saying I am a bit shy. I have a dear friend that talks with everyone she meets. In fact, when she finds a cool grouping of people, she will randomly walk up, start talking with them, and take a group photo. I am the opposite.  On Day 5, I talked to an older gentleman about The Alamo. This might not seem like much, but to him it was very important. I was in the grocery line and focused on a quick transaction, and heading back to the comfort of my home and fireplace. In and out, that was my focus. But, I happened to wear my commemorative T-Shirt from The Alamo. I visited there last year and was truly swept away by the solemnity of the grounds. The gentleman behind me in line had not only been to the Alamo, but everywhere in San Antonio, TX, and wanted to chat.

I will truthfully say that my first and awful thought was to just say a quick, Yep, when he asked if I had visited the Alamo. But when I turned and looked in his eyes, I could see he wanted a conversation. So we chatted. It was not a long chat, but it was a connection between two people who had found a common appreciation for a place so far away. I only gave him a few minutes of my time, but they were good moments.

The Alamo in San Antonio, TX

Giving to say we value your music

Day 6 was simple. As we approached the grocery store, yes, two nights in a row, we heard a man who appeared to be a little down on his luck playing the guitar and singing with vibrato outside in the cold. I rarely if ever carry cash, so I was glad when I remembered to ask for cash back on my purchase. Now, I usually do not give cash on the street to those asking for it. I think it can lead to not good situations. Also, I like to know where my money is going-true confession. But, in some cases, I do just randomly give. This was one of those nights. After we put the groceries in the trunk my teens volunteered to run the money back to the man. It was not much, only $5.00, but he was thankful, and hopefully was able to purchase a cup of soup or a warm coffee.

Giving to a guy singing at the grocery store.

Books mean everything to our family

This next giving experience cracks me up a little. First, you have to know how important books are to our family. If I were to say incredibly, it would be an understatement. Second, you must realize that my Sister Mary’s love language is gifts. If you don’t use the gift she gives you, there can be hurt feelings. And don’t worry, she would not mind me saying that. In fact, she would be glad I shared it so that people could properly accept her gifts.

Years ago, my sister gave me a book on Euphemisms. We often make up our own when traveling, so it was a naturally perfect gift. I would like to say that I have some great excuse for why I never read the book, but no, no excuse. I just didn’t read it. She noticed it from time to time in my book case and would inquire if I had read it. Um, no. So, I decided that my gift for Day 7 of the #30DaysofGiving Challenge would be to read the book.

At this point though, I also realized a lady at church had given me a book to read that she wanted to discuss…and I did not read it. You might be thinking at this point, “Well, maybe Jennifer is not an avid reader”. That would be incorrect. I love reading, read every day, and my favorite flight companion is a book! So, I read my church ladies book as well. Both books taught me a lot, and the latter caused me to really reflect on the content.

Sharing Family Traditions

On Day 8 I took my own advice from the original post Challenge- 30 Days of Giving and shared my families St. Patrick’s Day Traditions on the blog. You can read that post here. I thoroughly enjoyed reminiscing on past celebrations, talking with various family members about the holiday, and calling my brother so that he could remind me of the titles of the songs we used to sing as children. Since writing and posting the blog on St. Patrick’s Day, I have had a lovely time learning of other’s St. Patrick’s traditions and thoughts. I am fairly certain that I got more out of this act of giving than did anyone else, but I am glad it sparked good conversation and recollection for others as well! Plus, my family thoroughly enjoyed getting to eat a batch of my Leprechaun Munch a week early!

St. Patrick’s Day Green Pancakes

Looking ahead

Looking ahead at the second half of the month, I am planning a few out of the box giving ideas. I can’t wait to share those with you in my next few posts. How is your #30DaysofGiving going? Have you stepped outside your comfort zone? Share in the comments your giving ideas and share on social media as well!