Showing posts with label giving back. Show all posts
My Christmas Wish
 |
| Courtesy of: Markus Spiske |
I was never really given a personal allowance, instead, I
was always given a sum of money every week that would be enough for my commute
to school, and anything else I needed. Money for personal use, well, that
wasn’t really something I had growing up.
Part of it was because money was tight, but that was
something my parents never wanted me to know. They took it upon themselves to
hide anything that may indicate financial struggle. Even though I never had an
allowance, I didn’t think I needed one, because when I was a kid, when I wanted
something, they would give it to me. Every time.
My parents struggled to put me through school, mainly
because they wanted me to go to the best private school in the Philippines, and
not once did they complain about shouldering the huge expense by working longer
hours and placing themselves in debt.
I only learned about our financial situation when we moved
to Canada, when I was finally old enough to understand why they did all that
they did, and why they never wanted me to learn about their hardship. They just
loved me so much, they didn’t want me to be bothered with all the stress of not
knowing how to pay the month’s bills or this year’s tuition.
Damn.
So now that I have a job, now that I earn money to pay for
my own tuition, I think it’s only fitting to pay them back. Every time I get my
paycheck, I save some of it for my parents. I have a plan, you see.
Every Christmas, starting from way back when I was five, my
parents would always surprise me by pretending to have forgotten about what I
wanted, then giving the gift to me when the day was over; it’s a tradition that
has so much more meaning to me now that I know the full story behind everything
they’ve ever done.
My plan is that with the sum of money I’ve stashed away,
I’ll use it to buy them the things they want, and as it grows, so will the
gifts. Small gifts for now, given that I’ve only been working for a few months
or so, but as the years go by and as (hopefully) my paycheck grows and the sum
increases, I can give them the things they’ve gone without just for my sake.
I’m a simple guy with no real need for anything other than
food and internet connection, so who knows, maybe with enough time and effort I
can get them a vacation in Hawaii for the Winter, and, maybe with my brother
and sister, buy them a house when we’ve all grown up. It’s the very least I can
do.
- Carlo
Giving Back is Good
Currently, my schedule consists of
going to school, volunteering here and there, and simply hanging out with
friends or family. There have been many times where my parents have talked to
me asking when I will look for a job, blah blah blah. I mean, that’s good-
that’s what I must do- I must go get a job and plan for the future. But there’s
something inside me that has a different idea.
When I graduate from
post-secondary (which I hope I do), all I will be doing is work, work, and more
work. So I’ve been thinking, why not have fun and do what I want to do while
I’m not at the working stage yet? I volunteer my time helping those in need of
assistance. I volunteer because I want to, not because I have to. Why? Because
I feel like the world has given me enough, and that I should give back.
Giving back to the community is
good. Sometimes our lives aren’t always about the individual us, sometimes it’s
about the collective us. What does that exactly mean? Your life isn’t always
about you. It’s also about the people around you. There are people living in
the streets, new immigrants struggling to communicate, and others- all things where
we can intervene and help. It feels good to know that your acts help other
people, and make other’s lives better if not easier. On the other side of the
spectrum, knowing that someone is there to help when in need feels good. It
gives life more meaning. It makes living more meaningful.
Just think of a world where every
individual stops being selfish and starts helping each other out. How perfect
of a place would that be! There’s a Coca-Cola commercial that sang “Give a little
love and it all comes back to you. You’re going to be remembered for the things
that you say and do.” I never knew I would look up to an advertisement phrase
before. But these lines are accurate, and you shall try to believe in. The more
we give, the more we get after all, eh?
I invite
you to be active in the community. My New Year’s Resolution is to get involved
and volunteer more. Make it yours too. You can begin by helping others in need
such as helping an old person cross the road, or offer a seat to the elderly
while in transit. You can also volunteer in other places like libraries and
community centres.
Together, we can make the world a better place. Together, we
can make a difference.
Be the change!
Jose
If you are looking for ways to volunteer, do not forget to check the volunteer section under our RESOURCES menu.
