“When I was a teenager, my father and I were standing in line to buy tickets for the circus. In front of us there were eight children, probably under the age of 12. The way they were dressed, you could tell they didn't have a lot of money. The children were well-behaved, standing in line behind their parents. They were excited about the acts they would be seeing.
The ticket lady asked the man how many tickets he wanted? He responded, "I'd like to buy eight children's tickets and two adults." The ticket lady stated the price! The man's lip began to quiver. Then he leaned a little closer and asked, "How much did you say?" The ticket lady again stated the price. He didn't have enough money. How could he tell his eight children?
Seeing what was going on, my dad reached into his pocket, pulled out a $20 bill, and dropped it on the ground. My father bent down, picked up the bill, tapped the man on the shoulder and said, "Excuse me, sir, this fell out of your pocket. He appreciated the help in this embarrassing situation.
He took my dad's hand in his, squeezed tightly onto the $20 bill, and with his lip quivering and a tear streaming down his cheek, he replied; "Thank you, thank you, sir. This really means a lot to me and my family."
My father and I went back to our car and drove home. The $20 that my dad gave away is what we were going to buy our own tickets with.
Although we didn't get to see the circus that night, we felt a joy inside that was far greater than seeing the circus.
That day I learnt the value of 'Give'.
The Giver is bigger than the Receiver. If you want to be larger than life, learn to Give. Love has nothing to do with what you are expecting to get - only with what you are expecting to give.
The importance of giving and blessing others can never be over emphasized. Learn to make someone happy by giving.”
~ Katharine Hepburn
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