Giving Tuesday

[bobm]

Tuesday is our "new " National day to give to the charity of your choice. So for this past week our mailbox has been overflowing and I mean OVERFLOWING with propaganda to donate to them. Not to mention the dozens of telephone calls that I am getting pleading for MY money. The TV and radio National and local news programming as well as their "public service" notices has become an add agency for every imaginable charity , animal welfare rescue group, and go fund me for about every other "news" story. The elderly folks are the most suseptable to these pleas and overextend on their giving, putting their own welfare in jepardy. Donate to one and you are placed on the " succer " list. Enough is enough !!!

 

[journey11]

I agree. It's a poor attempt to balance out greed. I noticed a lot of flyers in the mailbox this year too. This is on top of the usual year-end pleas you will get in the next couple of weeks. Causes I care about, I donate to steadily throughout the year. Everybody wants their piece of the pie I guess.

I pay about as much attention to Tuesday as I did to Friday (techically Thursday), Saturday and Monday. Life as usual for me.

 

[Beekissed]

I agree. I'm the same with holidays and birthdays....if one has to set aside a particular day on which to do such and such, it can't be all that important. I make it a point to show my mother love and to honor her every day, if I want to give someone a gift because I love them, I just do it and not wait for a certain day on which to do so, if I want to honor God or thank Him for something I do it daily and frequently throughout the day, while reserving a day each week to concentrate on that more completely...same with giving to others. I give when I have it to give and God indicates I should give it, not wait until a certain day on which to do so.

I also agree that it's just an attempt to offset the greed of this season by giving folks a way they can assuage that guilt.

 

[so lucky]

I agree with you, Bee, in theory, but if I had neglected to do something for my mother on Mothers' Day, I would have regretted it for the next 364 days. That was one holiday we kids knew we better not forget!

 

[Beekissed]

My mom was well used to never getting much for that day, nor any other...Dad wasn't a gift giving kind of guy. I don't recall him ever getting a birthday, anniversary, Valentine's day, Mother's Day or Christmas gift all the time I was growing up. Now her grown kids never get her anything either, but I try to give her the gift of love, time, companionship and understanding all I can, every day. She doesn't need or want anything else, so those seem to be the most valuable gifts I can give at this point in her life.

 

[Sam BigDeer]

Beekissed said, '

but I try to give her the gift of love, time, companionship and understanding all I can, every day. She doesn't need or want anything else, so those seem to be the most valuable gifts I can give at this point in her life.

and they are, Bee, far-and-away the best and most valuable gifts that you could give her!!!
Sam

 

[ninnymary]

Bee, I don't think I'm the age of your mom but what you give her is what I tell my kids to give me. I can buy myself any material thing I want. What I can't buy is their time or companionship which is the most valuable.

Mary

 

[thistlebloom]

Time and companionship are like gold. I love those things from my kids and husband. A good conversation with lots of eye contact...

But I admit I am also materialistic enough to enjoy (extremely!!) those wrapped gifts with my name on them.
Things they picked for me, or most of the time in my husbands case things I picked for him to pick for me .

I have no problem with a physical gift as an expression of love given on a particular day. You can make it what you will, it doesn't have to be a commercialization.

 

[ninnymary]

I love gifts too! It's always a surprise and thoughtful thing.

Mary

 

[Smart Red]

I hate getting those 'DUNNING" letters from charities. They come, making me feel that not helping makes me uncaring. To solve the problem -- or at least keep the problem to a minimum I never respond to any of them. What I do is send my contributions anonomously through bank checks. For tax purposes I have gotten into the habit of sending my yearly 'gifts' in January of one year and again in December of the same year when I itemize my taxes. The alternate year is relatively donation free and that year I claim standard deduction.

Since the charities have no idea who the gift is from they can't send me more requests for money through the year. Even those charities I help are send a notice that I do not respond to financial requests.

'Sides, the bible says to give alms in private. If it weren't for Uncle Sam I wouldn't even keep records (in the form of photos of the checks) but the IRS is one entity who gets into the details.

So, nope, no giving this Tuesday. Waiting for January.