The Gift of Giving Back
This time of year always has a way of slowing me down. Not in a grand, dramatic pause. More like a quiet moment where I just stop and take it all in. A glance around the room, a deep breath, a bit of reflection. And I always come back to the same feeling: I have a good life. A really good one.
Most of us do, if we’re honest. We’ve got warm homes, food in the fridge, people who love us. Safety. Familiar comforts. Even on the rough days, we’ve got something solid to stand on. And when you stop long enough to notice all that, the natural response isn’t guilt or pride. It’s gratitude. Plain and simple.
And when gratitude settles in, it brings something with it. Generosity. They seem to travel together.
Christmas has this gentle way of clearing the noise. Sure, the stores are packed and the ads are loud and the to-do list grows longer by the day. But behind all of that is something quieter and more honest. A reminder, really, that we’re here to help each other. Not just when it’s convenient. Not just when we’re winning. But always. Giving back isn’t about having extra. Extra money, extra time, extra energy. It’s something every one of us can do, in our own way, right where we are.
Some of us can give directly. One place I support is the Scott Mission in Toronto. Every Christmas, I send a donation to provide a full Christmas dinner and a warm environment for people who might otherwise be spending the day cold, alone, and hungry. It’s not complicated. It’s just about helping people feel human again, even if only for an hour or two.
It breaks my heart to think of people having nowhere to go. Nowhere warm to sit. Nothing to eat. But it lifts my heart to think that maybe, just maybe, we can turn someone’s day around. Not fix everything, but at least soften the edges. Let them know they’re not forgotten. Not today.
But the thing is, giving doesn’t always come wrapped in a donation form or a receipt. It shows up in how we walk through the world. A generous way of being can be just as powerful as anything you put in an envelope.
You know what I mean. A kind word when someone looks like they’re barely holding it together. Letting someone go ahead of you in line. A smile. A pause. A moment of real listening when everyone else is rushing by. These things are small, but they matter. They shift something. They change the mood. They remind people they’re not alone.
I remember giving a few dollars to an elderly man sitting on a crate on the sidewalk. He smiled at me, with bright blue eyes, full of light. And it absolutely stopped me in my tracks. That one smile brought tears to my eyes. It wasn’t about the money. It was about being seen. Both of us. A human connection in the middle of the city, in the middle of winter.
And this season, maybe more than any other, nudges us to let go of things we’ve been holding too tightly. Old grudges. Stubbornness. Stories we’ve told ourselves about why something can’t be repaired. There’s freedom in softening. In making the first move, even if you’re not sure how it’ll land.
I recently reconnected with my sister and my nieces after years apart, and it ended up being one of the most joyful things I’ve ever experienced. There was no big speech. I didn’t overthink it. I just reached out and told them I loved them. That was enough to open the door. And I’ll never forget it.
And listen, if giving money isn’t an option for you right now, don’t let that stop you. Some of the most powerful things we can give cost nothing at all. Visit someone who’s lonely. Call a friend you haven’t spoken to in months. Offer to help a neighbour. Sit with someone who needs company. Listen without needing to try to be someone’s life coach. These are small things, yes.
But they are never wasted.
And if you feel brave, try giving without needing to be thanked. Anonymously. Quietly. Pay for the coffee or the groceries of the person in front of you. Leave a little gift where someone who’s struggling might find it. Drop off a card with no signature. There’s something quietly beautiful about doing good and walking away, no credit needed. That’s when generosity feels the most pure.
And kids. They’re watching. Always. Grandkids too. They learn from what they see. When they watch us give freely, when they see kindness in action, when they see us lead with empathy instead of judgment, it gets into them. It shapes how they move through the world. They learn, deep down, that a good life isn’t measured by what you have. It’s measured by what you give.
And here’s the thing. Generosity doesn’t just help the receiver. It changes the giver too. When we’re kind, when we give from the heart, something inside us shifts. We feel more grounded, more alive, more connected. Life feels richer. It’s hard to explain, but you know it when you feel it.
One of my favourite little traditions is meeting my dear friend Paul Pacific every December for lunch. We’ve been doing this for about thirty years. After we eat, we bundle up no matter how freezing it is and take a walk up Yonge Street. We peek in the shop windows like we’re still twelve years old. It’s cold, sure, but we love it. It’s one of those rituals that reminds me what really matters. Friendship. Laughter. Shared memories. That’s the stuff you can’t buy.
So this week, maybe just pick one small act of generosity. It doesn’t have to be big. Just something honest. Something that helps lighten someone else’s load. That’s how the light grows. One quiet act at a time.
Wishing you peace, purpose, and that quiet, lasting joy that only comes from giving.
- Mike Mandel
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