A story about being kind to others and receiving kindness in return.
Gerald the Giraffe loved being taller than the other animals! Food was never out of his reach, and he was happy to share. But one day, the fruit was gone. Would he have to go hungry, after being so kind to others?
Gerald the Giraffe enjoyed living in the vast woodlands. He liked having hundreds of trees to feed from and was proud to have a height advantage when it came to picking leaves and fruit for dinner.
Gerald also enjoyed using his height to help get yummy treats for his best friend, Daisy the Deer. Daisy wasn’t nearly as tall as Gerald, so whenever she saw a fruit that she wanted, she would ask him to get it for her.
"Hey Gerald," shouted Daisy. "There’s a tasty looking mango over there that has my name written on it. How’d you feel about grabbing it for me?"
Gerald chuckled with delight because he knew that no request from Daisy would be too great for him to honor. “Here you go, my friend,” he said, after picking the mango and giving it to her. “Enjoy!”
One Sunday a few weeks later, Gerald really felt like eating mangoes for dinner. He went strolling to see if he could find a few on the trees. He searched through and through, but came up empty and was very disappointed.
Daisy trotted by shortly after and noticed that Gerald was just sitting there looking despondent.
"What has gotten you down on this beautiful Sunday, Gerald?" she asked.
After hearing his explanation, Daisy said, “Sit tight, buddy. I’ll be right back.”
Daisy ran back to a tall grassy area where she kept a few mangoes that Gerald had gotten for her before. She liked to keep them in case she had a mango craving. She grabbed a couple of them and ran back to give them to Gerald.
“Oh, Daisy, are these for me? Where did you get them?” he inquired.
“Well, I’ve been saving a few mangoes every time you kindly pick them for me, so now’s my turn to return the favor,” she replied.
Gerald was elated to receive Daisy’s kindness. It made his mangoes, and the rest of his day, even sweeter.
Moral of the story: Using your talents to help others results in kindness being returned to you.
The Generous Giraffe Self-Reflection
Gerald the giraffe enjoyed using his height advantage to help others in need. He knew that he had something special and felt that it was important to use it for the benefit of others. Being genuine with gestures when he could extend them made him truly happy.
Little did Gerald know that his kindness in the past would make its way back to him when he yearned for it the most.
Sometimes you end up in situations where you are unable to help yourself in the same way that you help others.
In those situations, it’s wonderful when someone volunteers their assistance when you least expect it. It is wise to avoid taking the kindness that you give to others for granted. Oftentimes, your kind gestures accumulate. The universe takes stock of that and sends it right back to you.
Whenever you face a challenge, solutions may appear from the most unexpected sources.
The generosity that you show to others is often returned to you in other ways. Remember to acknowledge kindness by saying thanks and committing to giving back whenever someone comes calling.
Kindness is a two-way street.
Self-Reflection Questions:
- In what ways am I able to show generosity without offering financial gifts?
- How readily do I recognize sincerity in the actions of others?
- What talents do I have that I can use towards charitable initiatives?
