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Today my children overheard that I was planning to get a new phone. The old one is on its last leg and before it conks off, I should have one in place. I expected that they would be excited about a new gadget as all young children are, but what I didn’t expect was the prompt suggestion that they would gift this phone to me from their saved-up kitty.

The calculation had been done and they had figured that there was enough between the two of them to afford this smart phone. I thought, maybe they wanted something in return or maybe it was just a joke. But when the offer remained on the table, unwavering, I realised that the only desire was to do something for me. Perhaps it’s my constant rant about how expensive everything is that got to them or maybe they just thought they would ease the monetary burden!

What made the offer even more unbelievable was that this money was earmarked by them to buy a new PlayStation 4 and that conversation has flooded our home for the last three months. When I mentioned that they didn’t have enough to afford the gaming unit and my new phone, they happily agreed that they didn’t really need it.

I was overwhelmed with emotion, joy and pride all rolled into one, tearing up. Of course, I refused their generous offer but it got me thinking about the sheer joy of giving. Doing something for another without the expectation of something in return; that kind of giving doesn’t come easy but repays your soul in plenty.

I couldn’t get over the gesture for the entire day and here is what I vowed at the end of that day:

1. One act of giving without expecting a return, every month. 
2. Stop thinking of life and all things in our lives only in terms of money, how expensive something is or how cheap. It’s the value something adds or doesn’t that’s important. 
3. Talk to my children about one money concept in depth every month. 

I have never doubted the role money plays in our lives. But as time moves forward and I grow older I realise the need to balance desire for monetary growth with the fulfilment of sharing wealth. 

We are living in unprecedented times where frugality has to take priority over new spends or acquiring new possessions. Its perhaps, never been harder to foretell the course of events going forward. Jobs have been lost, companies bankrupted, industries disrupted and with no certainty as to whether there will be a revival in all that has been lost. 

In such times, being kind and giving a little has to be on the top of your list. At the same time make sure that you have enough, because the storm is not over yet. Make sure your money is adding value to your life and not just adding more stuff. Focus on spending on experiences which will last a lifetime rather than on things that will be forgotten in a few years.

I’m saying all this even as I am getting a new phone because the realisation of how important people and experiences are is only expanding every day and the value of that phone diminishing even before I have received it. 

Think about it and make the most of what circumstances have forced upon us; open up your minds to money as a means to not just satisfy your lifestyle but also as a means to help others. Let them feel the joy in receiving too.

Leave a comment with your moment of joy in receiving.