Christie Yu (10th Grade)
Giving is Receiving
1 November, 2015
Tiptoe-ing clumsily into class, I recognize my teacher’s dreary voice droning on about sharing unconditionally in order to receive more, a popular motif of the upcoming Thanksgiving season. Health and Career is one of those classes I sit through mindlessly only to gain the credits, but this certain class block catches my attention. Does one truly profit by losing first? Logically, this makes no sense. But perhaps, on an emotional level, satisfaction is not a numerical value exchanged rationally.
At home, I contemplate what my teacher meant by explaining that a moment of generosity would earn us a lifetime of contentment. For instance, once we offer our talent of reading out loud or playing piano compositions to brighten senior homes, the residents enthusiastically thank us with invaluable stories, such as old dancing reminisces or interesting war stories. Once we spend a couple hours of our lives to help preserve our planet, we help towards providing clean air and uncontaminated resources for generations to come. By giving our time, and occasionally our resources, we are given the chance to build beautiful relationships with the world around us. We might not expect these rewards, because the spirit is motivated only to give, not take, but inevitably, when we behave altruistically, we benefit emotionally as well.
Back in school the next day, I recognize a friendless peer sitting alone at lunch, picking at her food. I pick up my tray, leave my table full of friends, and begin conversing with her about the mutual Latin test we recently took. She smiles brightly, which touches my heart, and without noticing, I had accepted the life lesson of “Give and Take.”