Responses included things like integrity, loyalty, kindness and compassion.
I do not think of myself as particularly generous, although I try. I have a long way to go, though.
My parents always set a great example of generosity. They never had a great deal of cash to give people, but they constantly gave of their time and energy. I saw it when I was growing up in the things they did for church and service organizations. They continued doing this into their 80s. The delivered meals-on-wheels until my father's health gave out and he could no longer drive. My 87-year-old mother doesn't like to drive anymore, but she has a friend who recently had back surgery. My mother has taken it upon herself to drive the friend to the beauty parlor each week. Good examples of simple but real generosity of spirit.
Tom is another person whose generosity I admire. I cannot begin to tell you how many hundreds of hours he has given to the little railroad and to other organizations in his retirement. When I worked at the law office in Baraboo when we first moved to Wisconsin, he would go in and do my job at no charge to the firm so that I could take time to visit my family in Texas. (I had no paid vacation days, of course.) Even when I took time off at the library, where I did have vacation time, he would go in and work for hours as a volunteer to free up a librarian to take over my regular duties. He is also able and willing to donate money to individuals and causes, but it is his generosity of time, energy and talent that most impress me. (He is a gifted artist, as many of you know, and has designed all of my book covers with the exception of the John of the Cross mystery.)
It was this generosity, I think, that first attracted me to Tom. So I suppose I will say generosity is what I value most.
Now I must try to emulate the good example I have been given.
4 comments:
interesting question; I have to think what I value most. I am not certain yet. probity?
To care about others.
Kato
Compassionate wisdom
Kato
Generosity is a quality I admire. Whether it is given in time, money, assistance or emotion it can be transformative. So you are lucky to share an apartment as your bio says ( and I presume a life) with a generous man.
Empathy would get my vote. If you truly feel for others it can manifest itself in so many positive ways. I didn't get the primary colors clue, but I am color blind for the most part. Hope you survived the onslaught of ads. I see the hatred and
anger this year and find it hard to believe. There are many things that could be
better in our country but few of us get the chance to see for ourselves how the rest of the world lives.
Part
Post a Comment