The Kindness of a Stranger

by Maya Jones, Manager, West End Branch Library


Recently, I decided that I didn’t feel like cooking dinner and went to Chick-fil-A to pick up something. I ordered my meal and when I got to the window to pay, I was told that the car in front of me paid for my meal. I was tired from a hard day at work and words can’t express how elated I was that a stranger thought to do something so kind. So, I decided to pay for the car behind me. Because of this wonderful experience, I thought I would profile “generosity” for people who want to give to others in their community or find new ways of doing so.

Audiobooks
The Happiest Life: Seven Gifts, Seven Givers & the Secret to Genuine Success by Hugh Hewitt (Hoopla audiobook)
More or Less: Choosing a Lifestyle of Excessive Generosity by Jeff Shinabarger (Overdrive audiobook)

Books
Blessed Life: Unlocking the Rewards of Generous Living by Robert Morris
The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu with Douglas Abrams
Kindness & Generosity: It Starts with Me by Jodie Shepherd (Juvenile)
Love Let Go: Radical Generosity for the Real World by Laura Sumner Truax & Amalya Campbell
The Opposite of Spoiled: Raising Kids Who are Grounded, Generous, and Smart about Money by Ron Lieber
What Does It Mean to Be Kind? by Dana Diorio; illustrated by Stephane Jorisch (Juvenile)

Websites
The Science of Generosity is a program at the University of Notre Dame which studies “generosity” through research and experiments. This is a very interesting website that tries to study the impact of “generosity” on people and their communities. This website has a blog, videos, and research information.
8 TED Talks on generosity are very interesting and may give ideas about ways to give back to your community.

So when considering generosity and ways to give back to your communities consider this quote and do your best.

“Give what you have. To someone, it may be better than you dare to think.”
―Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

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