I truly believe in helping others, especially when it involves kids. They are the innocent ones that usually end up suffering due to poor adult decisions. When I first heard the saying “no good deed goes unpunished”, I didn’t really understand it because why would anyone get punished for doing a good deed for someone? Well that was until I was the recipient of punishment for one awhile back and now I fully understand it. There are just people out there that associate kindness with ulterior motives and don’t know how to be gracious at all, just assuming that they are deserving of things at someone else’s expense. Not only that they will lie to get whatever they want and are generally cynical towards people who have more than them.
There just are too many takers in this world and not enough givers. Money greed makes it all the worse. When anything involves money, people can be at their worst and it can tear apart friendships and families.
Now one bad experience should put me off helping someone else, it didn’t as there have been a few others since! Although I would never again do anything for the person who wasted my time, ruined my Christmas and caused me undue stress in trying to help his family, I have learned that there are certain expectations that in future I would require.
1. Graciousness – if you cannot be gracious and appreciative when someone does something for you then don’t ask for or expect help.
2. Kindness – never do anything to harm someone or judge them unfairly. Show kindness by thinking of someone else before you think only of yourself.
3. Pay It Forward – if someone does something kind for you, then you must do something kind for someone else. That is the law of kindness, for it to be effective it must spread around.
4. Grateful – even though you may have less than others do not be envious of them, instead be grateful for what you do have because there are others who have even less.
5. Generosity – never be greedy that it will cost you a friendship or discord in your family. Don’t make money more important than your relationships, instead show generosity to others.
It is true that the grass is not greener on the other side and you can’t judge a book by its cover. Everyone has problems in their life, may not be the same as yours but that doesn’t make their problems less worthy just because their situation may financially, or otherwise, be better than yours.
I really hope the person who this post was intended for will wake up and realize that you make your own bed and if you want to lie in one made of thorns, then so be it but don’t count on anyone to make it for you.
4/365
