What if I Give All?
My students and I had an interesting discussion about the tooth fairy one day. After we got past the “Is there really a tooth fairy/Santa/Easter Bunny?” question, we got down to the nitty-gritty -- just how much does YOUR tooth fairy leave?
I told them that back in the stone ages, we got a dime from our tooth fairy, or if she was particularly affluent, a quarter. They guffawed!
“A quarter!” I always get at least two dollars!”
Many reported getting five, ten, even twenty dollars. I said that the tooth fairy must have made some good investments since my days or that lost-tooth futures must be skyrocketing.
Kids seem to have a lot of discretionary income these days. I wouldn’t have known what to do with 20 dollars when I was seven, but my students seem to have big plans for their spending money most involving video games, action figures, or screens. Some are saving for a family trip or pet.
Parents contribute to this acquisitive nature. We want our children to have what they need and, since we want them to be happy, so we give them what they want. We don’t just keep up with the Jones’s but outdo them 200 percent. So our children have it all. Or do they?
A first grade boy in Canada heard about some children in Africa who needed a well to bring fresh water to their village. He went home and announced that he would give that village a well. His mother explained to him that this would take lots of money but that didn’t stop him. He started that very day to earn that well. It took him many months but he did it.
Another boy learned of homeless people in Philadelphia sleeping in the cold and set out to get them warm coats, blankets, and sleeping bags. He began by giving his own coat away. Both boys started with a dream to help others and both have founded charities to help many around the world. Where in the world did they get such courage, compassion and generosity?
Probably from their parents.
Children notice what their parents have. Do they have the latest car and computer or do they have time to help others? Do they have hefty bank accounts or do they share their earnings with charities? Do they take or do they give?
Sean was an ornery little fellow. Often in trouble on the bus or the playground, he gave me a run for my money in the classroom. His life had been pretty tough. At the age of three, he lost his father. His mother wanted to do her best for Sean and his two brothers but was battling demons of her own. He didn’t have a lot of stuff, but he had a lot of spirit.
On our field trip to the zoo, Sean was my special buddy so I could keep a good eye on him. His grandmom had given him three dollars and he was eyeing the souvenir case hungrily. Waiting behind the others, he noticed a box full of money off to the side.
“What’s this money for?” he asked. I told him it was a fund for feeding the animals. He looked at me for a moment, glanced at the shining souvenirs, and walked over and put his three dollars in the box.
Wouldn’t it be great if the next time the tooth fairy visited your child she left a note that suggested that part of her gift be given to a child who needed money to get good dental care? What if your child donated part of his birthday or allowance savings to a child living in poverty. What would she learn? What would he acquire? Imagine how the world would change if every child who has, gave to those who have not. It would change the world.
It can be done — one child at a time.
