Then said a rich man, Speak to us of Giving. And he answered....
"You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give...
There are those that give little of the much which they have...And there are those who have little and give it all.
These are the believers in life and the bounty of life, and their coffer is never empty.
It is well to give when asked, but it is better to give unasked, through understanding;
And to the open-handed the search for one who shall receive is joy greater than giving.
And is there aught you would withold? All you have shall some day be given;
You often say, "I would give, but only to the deserving."
The trees in your orchard say not so, nor the flocks in your pasture.
They give that they may live, for to withold is to perish.
Surely he who is worthy to receive his days and his nights, is worthy of all else from you.
And he who has deserved to drink from the ocean of life deserves to fill his cup from your little stream.
And what desert greater shall there be, than that which lies in the courage and the confidence, nay the charity, of receiving?
And who are you that men should rend their bosom and unveil their pride, that you may see their worth naked and their pride unabashed?
...in truth it is life that gives unto life-while you, who deem yourself a giver, are but a witness..."
-Kahlil Gibran