When we think of “giving” as a state of mind, it is at once expansive and also deeply personal.
We can give our money and volunteer hours to causes that affect change in our communities and further missions that align with our ethos. In fact, the New York State Attorney General’s office oversees the Charities Bureau, which maintains a searchable database of all non-religious charities operating within the state (and also supervises those organizations) to connect New Yorkers with these opportunities.
In less structured everyday moments we can give of our empathy, our humor, our hospitality. It is through the nuances and grace notes of how we conduct ourselves in these scenarios that define who we really are.
The most obvious method of “giving” at this time of year is, of course, the giving of things. I sincerely believe that the thought that goes into selecting a gift is the thought that truly counts. From writing a meaningful message on a hand-letterpressed holiday card, to dressing up a gift in sustainable wrapping, to bringing a small token of gratitude to a hostess, to treating the women, men, kids and pets (or pet-lovers) in your life to one-of-kind items, you have the option to select presents that are lovingly #MadeInNewYork by an artisans’ hands. Consider how special that is in a world of very generic products.
However you explore your New York “giving” state of mind, I leave you with a credo that was oft repeated by one candidate during the recently-ended election cycle, quoting advice attributed to Methodist founder John Wesley:
"Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can."
If you need something else to cling to, there’s always Elvis: “Do what’s right for you, as long as it don’t hurt nobody.” After all, you deserve to give yourself a little slack, too.
From New York City,
Christine Murphy
Co-Founder, COO and Editor in Chief
[Illustration by Lizzie Niemczyk for New York Makers.]