by Peter Johns

Created on: December 12, 2008   Last Updated: November 19, 2009

Half of one person's joy is the experiencing of another person's joy; when you make someone happy, it makes you happy too. When you give, you're both giving and receiving, which is far more rewarding than just receiving.

IT DOESN'T HAVE TO COST A LOT, OR ANYTHING AT ALL Christmas, for example, has been called "The Season of Giving." Because it's become so commercial, many people have come to equate "giving" with "buying." That doesn't have to be the case. It's so easy to get carried away by the marketing machine we live in today. It's an amazing mechanism; it's responsible for the creation of jobs and new products, but we can't forget that sometimes the greatest gifts are those that cost nothing.

CHANGE SOMEONE'S LIFE "Thank you. Your smile has lifted me, your kind words have made my day." These are wonderful gifts that cost absolutely nothing. Give a smile, open/hold a door, give a hand, lend an ear, cook someone a meal, deliver a meal, cut someone's food, help someone cross the street, "be there" for someone, give of: time, kind words, a "thank you," a foot rub, a compliment; write someone a poem or a letter, tell someone how wonderful they are, wipe their tears, and just hold someone in your arms. There is so much you can do that costs little to nothing, yet it could make a world of difference and even change someone's life.

AN ANECDOTE One time I was at a family gathering and I was just so tired that I fell asleep on the couch. One after another, my nephews came up to me and said "wake up, wake up," while poking me. They were around four years old and they wanted me to play with them. Getting woken up is not one of my favorite things, but I I knew they'd be leaving soon, and it was going to be a long time before I'd get to see them again, so I played with them. I was genuinely moved by their carefree love and trust; every smile and giggle made me laugh in kind. That kind of synergy is priceless. I am so glad they woke me up, because had I awoken later (after they had left), I would have had a lump of regret in my throat for not having spent enough time with them, and I would have missed that extra gift of love they blessed me with. It's easy to take family for granted until you stop and think how sad it would be if you had no family at all. you can't buy that.

DELIVER SOMEONE FROM LONELINESS One of the saddest afflictions a person can suffer from is loneliness. According to author Jean M. Auel, in her book "Clan of the Cave Bear," shunning is the worst thing that can happen to an individual. In fact, in her story, it's used as the ultimate form of punishment. If you are "shunned," your life is over. Loneliness is a form of involuntary or inadvertent shunning and delivering someone from that loneliness, by giving of one's self in the form of friendship, time and companionship, is one of the most generous gifts of all.

I love you. That is one of the greatest sentiments a person can share; an incredible gift to give someone you love when they're feeling down. And again, it costs nothing.

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