Giving is living.
A week ago, China suffered a devastating earthquake. The generosity of the Chinese people towards the people in Sichuan Province has been amazing. In the first week after the quake, more than a billion U.S. dollars were donated to the relief effort. I have been very impressed by the hard work, caring, and concern of everyone from the top leaders to the average person, including my students. Seeing this has made me think of the topic ”giving”, and the role that giving plays in our lives. Here is today’s quote:
“We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.”
~ Winston Churchill ~
[Language Note: “a living” means what we get from a job to help us buy food, clothing, etc. Notice that “living” and “a living” are NOT the same!]
I think that giving, in this quote, does not just mean money or physical gifts. It is referring more to giving time, giving our friendship and love, giving of ourselves in a personal way. I give my time and effort to my students, to help them prepare for their futures. I’m not sure that most of them care about their own futures, but some do, and I think they are grateful for what I give. What are some ways that you give to the people around you? What “gifts” do you receive from others? (Not physical gifts, of course!)
As always, I am looking forward to my students’ comments!
Nafis Said,
May 21, 2008 @ 2:26 am
Human beings are members of a whole,
In creation of one essence and soul.
If one member is afflicted with pain,
Other members uneasy will remain.
If you have no sympathy for human pain,
The name of human you cannot retain.
I think this poem represent the meaning of generosity very well. People are like body organs. These organs must help each other to survive. No organs live lonely and if one organ suffers from pain, the others should help. If one human suffers from hungry, poverty, natural disasters, it is our humanitarian responsibility to help.
My mother always read this poem for me. But, I think I really love helping people. It was in my personality since childhood. I remember I always came home with no notebooks, pen and pencils. They had to buy school stuffs for me over and over during a year. My mother is also my role model because she is so generous. She always collects our clothes, keeps them for poor people and donates them with some money. She cooks foods and gives it to needy humans.
As my mother taught me, when I was employed and I got the first income. I was so happy that I could donate my money. In our religion, it is really good if you buy a sheep and sacrifice it and give its meat to the poor people. So, I bought a sheep and gave its meat to needy people. I never ever forget the face of one of them as I gave him the meat. His eyes became wide as he saw the meat and prayed for me constantly. I can not explain how much I was happy. Moreover, I read in newspaper that donation have a really good effect on mental and physical body. It helps the brain to produce a special hormone that is similar to some addiction drugs. This hormone brings the bliss for humans. According to the Social Capital Community Benchmark Survey, a survey of 30,000 American households, people who gave money to charity in 2000 were 43% more likely “very happy” about their lives than non-givers. The studies has also shown that they live much more longer than non-givers.
Today, my happiness is dedicated to my family. Although I have to learn English much more, I spend lots of my time on cooking, cleaning, ironing and etc. I think there is nothing more important than my family and housework. They help to have a happy family and a happy family can be useful for the society and other people.
Nowadays, people have become much more selfish. They do not allocate their time for other people. Friends betray friends. Parents do not care about their children and spouses. I heard in news that one Vancouverites father has killed his four and six year-old daughter and son. The rate of getting divorce is increasing. I do not know if people care about each other in the future or not? Do they allocate their time or life for each other? What kind of society will we have in the future?
teacherjoe Said,
May 21, 2008 @ 4:19 am
Nafis,
You confirm what I had heard before - that giving is part of the Muslim culture. Doesn’t every working adult give money to the poor? In my opinion, it’s really a great thing that so many non-Muslims do not know about.
Nafis Said,
May 21, 2008 @ 12:44 pm
Yes, That is so right. In our religion, we have to pay some of our income to the poor people. But, it is conditional. If someone has a really low income, it is not necessary to pay money to.
Although it is really appreciable action in our religion, giving is so important in our general culture as well. Because prior to Islam, we had this attittude. In our classical literature and arts, people have been advised to give something to other people. We have a lot of proverbs or poems about this issue before Islam era in our country. In the past, the more person gave, the more he/she was great and aslo now.
alaaayman Said,
May 23, 2008 @ 6:31 am
I’m pleased to visit your blog. Indeed, I get a great benefit. It’s not only your useful information, but also your honesty and loyality.Indeed you make a life by what you give.Your blog does not only enrich my English , but also it survives me .Again and again ESL blogs are a better chance to have the best friends and to make the real friendship.
To sum up . you give useful information, honesty, loyalty , friendship and happiness. I hope that you will get a life by what I write.
wait more from you,
Alaaayman
Valentina Said,
May 23, 2008 @ 1:05 pm
Once there was a woman, who seems poor and she was gathering garbage. No one would help her, though, it was hard for her to bend down to gathering. I guess she was about 50. Anyways, I hesitated to help her or not ‘coz everybody didn’t mean to doing that–I regreted about it–then I decided to help her. Whatever other people would think about it, it was just what I wanna do. She smiled to me and said “Thank you” after we finished gather garbage. You know what? I suddenly felt SO MUCH happy! So, for giving others, sometimes it happens by no purpose. Oh yes, there’s one purpose, that is we wanna make ourselves happy by making others happy.
^^ THE END~~ LOL
sorry teacher Joe, I’m not your student, but can I be your e-student? Please correct me if there’s any wrong! I know my English is so poor.
Nafis Said,
May 23, 2008 @ 3:06 pm
Dear teacher joe,
I have a question for you. These kinds of topics like “giving” are “subjective ” topic, if I am right. I want to know that how I can write about “subjective” topics easily. I thought a lot and I finally wrote something that it was just about my experiences, I mean, I wrote about ” first person” essay, which is easier than writing in “third person”. I am not satisfied with my essay. What should I do to write about these kinds of topics? I read “writing advice” in your website but I still have problem. My bigest problem is brainstorming and extracting my topic sentence and supporting points. My mind has stored lots of information which is difficult to be organized. How can I organize my thoughts better and find good details and examples for essays. I do not know how I can find better examples either for “subjective” or “objective” topics. Would you please help me in this matter? It sounds I have lots of problem in writing.
Thanks a lot,
maggie Said,
May 24, 2008 @ 12:59 pm
Hi Teacher Joe,
I like this topic a lot. I also am living in China and I have been very pleased to see the TV coverage of the quake as well as people’s outpouring of support for the victims. I think the two go hand-in-hand. When people see on TV the result of the terrible devastation they can’t help but respond in some way. There was an interesting report on CCTV 9 about many young people what have traveled down to Sichuan to volunteer in whatever way they can. The comments made were that many had thought this was a selfish generation but that their giving of their time has changed many older people’s opinions.
I remember a proverb that is common in my religion, that is “Give and it will be given to you, pressed down, shaken together and running over will men pour it into your lap.” Most people don’t give out of fear they don’t have enough, but this is a promise that if you give you won’t be lacking. In fact, you’ll receive much more back.
Good blog!
B. vijay mohan Said,
May 26, 2008 @ 5:00 am
I agree with your opinion. This is really appreciable thing.
Nafis Said,
May 28, 2008 @ 12:37 pm
I like the part he said that giving to poor people is more important for me than what I have done for NASA. I think this is great thought. It shows that humanitarian actions is more valuable than having only knowledge about a science.
http://www.searchles.com/channels/show/3895
Nellis Said,
June 16, 2008 @ 7:04 am
The word “Giving” have no limitation and to link by “Living” and it’s about universe, when we look to this universe everything giving correlation to each other start from the sky the sun giving is living to the stars in space as a solar system and to the earth as energy resources the sun giving a living to thing which is life on earth, I will focus on human being life, this word giving a living starting from mother’s life Mother giving her living to her child to keep and watch and look after until the child getting grown up and the child at the grown up will share it to the relationship then what you get from the word Giving is living? these word is the role play of the life in universe.
I am sure all of you have a definition by your own and who want to share their knowledge they will do giving a living to other, to teacher Joe I need your comment to my English, thank you.
teacherjoe Said,
June 17, 2008 @ 1:41 am
Nellis,
Thanks for the very philosophical point of view! As for your English, I think it would be more clear if you used shorter sentences when you write. An average English sentence is normally between 8 and 16 words long. Your first sentence is 123 words, making it hard to get your meaning. Keep on trying and you will surely succeed!
Nafis Said,
June 25, 2008 @ 6:52 pm
I watched this video from this website:
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/benjamin_zander_on_music_and_passion.html
but I could not understand the final words and meanings, would you please help me? I do not describe first words but I am saying one excerpt of it.
………. She walked out Auschwits into life and I made WOW. The WOW was I will never say anything that I couldn’t stand as the last thing I have to say. Now, can we do that? no, all make us wrong another wrong but it is possibility to live into.
Unfortunately, I could not understand what is the meaning of the whole sentences. I appreciate it in advance.
Regards,