The Silver Cup

Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it.

–Proverbs 3:27

I don’t how the slogan “give till it hurts” came about, do you? In some ways it makes it sound as if being generous has to be sacrificial for it to really count. I don’t know about that, in fact, I am pretty sure when I share half my sandwich with Tracie at lunch time because she forgot hers at home…that she’s grateful and I don’t hurt. I also think that the small giving we do for one another and for groups or causes lay groundwork for perhaps deeper commitments later. There are all kinds of giving. Letting a car cut into a heavy traffic lane when you are in a hurry is deemed generous by me! I am grateful to the kind hearted driver. Similarly, when Student Affairs received a gift of $5,000 from a donor for our leadership programs, I was grateful to the person for believing in leadSTRONG and demonstrating it with a gift.

The gift that comes from the heart, from a joyful soul, from a deep and abiding affection should not, and cannot be measured, by an amount. So if it’s free, $5, or $1,000, the spirit of the giver travels with the gift. This kind of giving is about having an attitude of positivity and belief that giving is not an obligation but done in care and service with and for others.

It’s why I am so proud of the Student Affairs team for their 100 percent giving to Loyola University’s faculty/staff annual campaign. Yes, it was joyful to see the gleaming 2011 Silver Cup! It now will travel monthly from Co-curricular to Residential Life, to Athletics and Wellness, to Career Development and Counseling, and finally back to the Office of Student Affairs. The lesson of the Silver Cup: sharing in the joy of giving is truly winning, and that’s the silver lining.