MANILA, Philippines - Generosity, like most other personal traits, begins at home In the family, our parents taught us to send gifts to relatives with lesser means especially during Christmas.
Another great influence were the teachings of Opus Dei founder St. Josemaria Escrivá, whose life was a tale of generosity, especially to the poor and the sick.
Inspired by his example, I encouraged my siblings to celebrate our birthdays with an outreach activity. Thus was born a family tradition.
We chose at first to focus our efforts on one or two needy families so we could follow through their life stories. My sister Aileen picked the family of Aling Nora to be the beneficiary of her birthday celebration. Coincidentally, the two shared the same birthdate. Aling Nora was overwhelmed with joy to have something to cook for the family on her special day.
Seeing how much good the simple gesture accomplished, I decided to enlarge our circle and invited friends. First to respond was a college classmate, Ciara, who brought along a whole community: her son CJ, and her nephews and nieces.
Their entry brought a wonderful twist to the visits: apart from giving out basic grocery items, we entertained the beneficiaries with games and math tricks. They also taught catechism.
Spreading the circle even wider, I pulled in another friend, Lloyd, who came with 10-year old Mia. Young as she was, Mia was hesitant to give up her toys even if she wasn’t using them anymore, but she was only too happy to see how the kid-recipients could not contain their joy at the toys.
I then set my sights on another target: public hospitals, especially abandoned patients. This time, younger friends, my mentees in the university, tagged along. We picked Philippine General Hospital where the charity patients overflow. Lack of budget and facilities make it difficult to give the patients the best conditions during their stay.
And yet, their patience, serenity, and strong hope convince me and my mentees more and more that it is we who benefit from each visit because our faith in humanity is restored.
Many more stories like these can be told, but they teach me only one thing: sharing is a choice; it can become a way of life. Sharing recognizes that another is in need – of self-giving, which is the only real path to true self-fulfillment. Shy Pizaña