In keeping with this week’s theme of Having, I wanted to speak to our grandkids and other children of all ages on that subject. I hope you have some time to pass this along to them. And I invite you to send me stories or “notes” you have written to those “little ones” (as my mom would say) who are close to you.
Hi Kids
Here is something I wanted to “share” with you. It’s about what having and sharing mean.
If you have more of something than someone else, it’s always good to give away some of it to make your friend feel better…to be kind to them. Isn’t that what your mom or dad always says?
You may be tempted to keep things all for yourself, but during your life you will come more and more to see the importance of sharing. So why is this so?
Having Knowledge - Ask any of your teachers and I think they may tell you that gaining knowledge about different things…learning…is a lifelong goal, and that it is one of the most important and rewarding goals of all. This is because by learning you can be just about anything your heart desires. With music you can be a rock star; with math you can be an engineer and build things, or a scientist, or astronaut; with biology a doctor or researcher; with reading and writing a journalist or author…but reading and writing are also super important to the other things as well…because being able to communicate is perhaps the most important thing of all.
Teaching others is the giving of that knowledge. It is a way to share something special with others, so they can grow healthy, happy, and strong like you. This is how you give this great gift to others. And everybody wins.
Having Experience - We gain in experience throughout our lives, from taking care of our pets to taking care of ourselves, and finally our families when we are older. We get good at things because we learn by our mistakes and failures: the times we didn’t try hard enough, or maybe were simply unlucky, and times we weren’t fair to others…maybe we were even a bully to someone at times. We learn that others are really just like us deep down, but they just have different experiences in their lives than we might.
We also gain skills and experience in jobs that we have during our life as well. But I’m not talking about that experience here. I’m talking about life, and how to be a good person. This is the most important experience of all. And this is true even if your young life seems to be so much harder than others. You become an expert during troubled times and more able to give valuable advice to others who face similar situations. Experience has many faces. Sharing your experience with others is a great gift you can give that will always make you smile.
Having Stuff – How much stuff do you need? How many dolls, toys, books, or video games are enough? It’s a good question for your parents and grandparents as well. We find out as we get older that having a lot of stuff - like big homes, fancy cars, and more money than we need doesn’t make us happier.
Some kids have nothing. Ask your mom or dad to take you out to buy a gift for someone your age…then give it to someone who has so much less than you. It’s a valuable lesson I learned when I was maybe your age. My mom did this for us when I was about 10 years old (my sister 7 and my brother 12). The secret is that you also have to give up one of the presents you would get at a holiday like Christmas. It sort of means you let them have the gift you thought you wanted for yourself.
This is what sharing and giving really mean, don’t’ you think? I promise that you will never ever forget this. It will make your heart sing every time you remember.
Having Feelings - Whether you are happy or sad, fearful or mad…sharing feelings with others is always best. By doing that, happiness spreads, sadness is soothed, fear is overcome, and the fire of anger can be put out. In these examples, we share so that we can spread the good things, and lessen the bad things that drag our spirits down. We do this to help us grow and heal our hearts and minds. It is a gift we give ourselves, and it works every time. Share these feelings with your mom and dad, and even your sisters and brothers…just tell them Nono told you to do it :)
My last message for you today is that the biggest gift we can ever give anyone is the love we have in our hearts. Sharing love is the only thing that can change the world and make it a better place for everyone.
So you see, there is something magical about having and sharing. But my guess is perhaps you already know this.
Love, Nono
To Visit the Light Passers Marketplace
I love the notes to Nono. As a retired teacher and life long learner, I relate to the gift of giving knowledge, so that kids realize they have so many gifts to give just bby learning.