Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love!
~Hamilton Wright Mabie
My friend Nell was feeling guilty one year during the holiday season. She was throwing away the solicitations for donations that arrived in the mail from various good causes because she was saving her money to spend on gifts.
Then she remembered a piece of advice she had read somewhere: “If you want to give away money, go to the bank, take out as much cash as you can afford, and distribute it to people on the street.”
This appealed to Nell. Nearly every day, she saw homeless people and others in need. But she never paid much attention as she whizzed by in her car, and she even crossed the street to avoid the scary-looking ones when she was walking.
Nell thought about her “Fiver Envelope.” Whenever she received a five-dollar bill as change in a transaction, she saved it. After gathering a bunch, she would treat herself to a massage or some other luxury. She decided to take the one hundred dollars she’d accumulated and give it away.
Nell found her first beneficiary one early cold morning at the post office. A dented maroon car, the back bumper tied on with a rope and stuffed with clothing, pulled into a parking space. A weary woman struggled to get out of the vehicle and up the post office steps.
Nell pulled a five from her wallet and folded it in half. When the woman entered the building, Nell asked, “May I give you something?”
The woman looked wary as Nell held out the money. “Why?”
“Because it’s Christmas.”
The woman took the money. “That’s it? For no other reason?”
Nell said, “Yes,” and wished her a Merry Christmas.
“Thank you so much.”
Nell felt very happy.
Next was a young wispy woman wrapped in layers of clothing to stave off the cold rain. She was walking with a black Pit Bull that wore a padded doggie jacket. Nell pulled to the curb and got out of her car. “May I give you something?”
Again a wary look.
Nell held out a five.
The woman grinned, and then looked close to tears. “I’m so glad I turned around and started walking this way. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have met you.” She gave Nell a hug.
A few days later, Nell was walking to her car in the grocery store parking lot. She noticed a woman putting her baby in a car seat in a dented pickup truck.
As Nell held out her offering, the woman backed away. “I shouldn’t take it.”
Nell reached her hand out further. “Please, I want to give it to you.”
“Thank you. I really do need gas money.” She invited Nell to the live nativity scene produced by one of the local churches on Christmas Eve. She said her baby would be playing the role of Jesus. She blessed Nell as she walked away.
A few days later, Nell saw a middle-aged woman fishing through a public trashcan. When she gave her five dollars, the woman beamed. “Thank you. It’s my birthday.”
Nell’s heart soared. “Happy birthday, my dear!”
Every time Nell gave away money, she felt immense joy. Most of the interactions took less than a minute, but during that time she was able to look a person in the eyes, touch his or her hand and, in a few instances, receive a hug. This was so much better than using all those saved five-dollar bills for a massage.
She gave away her last five to someone she saw frequently — a tall, lean man who appeared to be homeless. He wore a camouflage jacket and walked a dog with a matching brindle coat.
It was shortly after the New Year and raining when Nell spotted him. He was walking so fast that she pulled a block ahead so that she could intercept him.
She wasn’t sure how he would react because he seemed so self-contained, as if he preferred to be alone.
“Hi,” she said.
He returned the greeting with a surprising twinkle in his eyes.
“May I give you something?” She held out the folded bill.
“Are you serious?” he asked.
“Yes, please, I want to give it to you.”
He grinned. “Thank you.”
She had never been close to him. She looked at his face — really looked at it — and saw a kind man in his forties with warm, dark brown eyes. She reached down and petted his dog, grateful that he had a companion. Why he was alone was a mystery, but she was glad to make a connection with this nice man.
“Happy New Year.” As the words left her mouth, she regretted them. They sounded hollow and trite given his situation.
“Happy New Year to you,” he said, leaving her with the gift of his smile.
~Kate Erickson
