Giving a Jacket, Receiving One

--by communitynyc, posted Sep 12, 2008

Some years ago, a guy in the subway was begging so I asked him if he needed clothes and he said yes. He told me to meet him the following week in exactly the same spot with my donation. I did, and I gave him a jacket which I happened to like but knew I could replace, and some pants. He thanked me and I was on my way.

Within less than a week, I walked past someone I knew and he asked me if I wanted a jacket he was getting rid of. It turned out to be better for me than the one I gave away, and it was exactly my size. I accepted it. This is one of many similar situations in my life where an act of selflessness generated an unexpected return of the same type of object I had given away. The most important lesson I've learned from these experiences would be that giving when I'm actually feeling generous produces some sort of "pat on the back" from a spirit or whatever, whereas giving with a feeling of being obligated really never seemed to have the same effect.

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Posted by communitynyc
Sep 12, 2008
Comments (8)

Readers Comments

perseverance wrote: Nice and touching

lmil1954 wrote: Also interesting is the fact that when we give, we feel even better giving those things which we really want to keep!!! Oh, yea, karma! LindaM:)

butterfly wrote: thanks for sharing. i love that you gave something away that you liked, that is amazing. well done. you are an inspiration. you have really tapped into the universal energy of giving and recieving. love and light x

MakeSomeoneSmile wrote: Thanks for sharing your story. I believe 100% that karma, love, kindness, faith--whatever name you call it, comes back to us. That is just another benefit of giving!

JuneBug wrote: You gave from the heart and God saw it...You got blessed in more ways than one! :}

brighteyes wrote: INTENTIONs are important.....PURE INTENTIONS- KINDNESSES GIVEN WITHOUT THOUGHT OF RETURN are important too! ;)

Alicia wrote: Based on my experienced i notice that the more i help and give the more it comes back to me it is even better. I have my charity i donated more that i should and sometimes worried what to do and where to get but all the time it does show up soemwhere to use both for my needs and for others. Bless your kind heart keep on doing a good deed it will for sure come back to you better than what you have given and in your good health.

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