Spend Money On Other People

When you have to save every penny to get by, it's nice when someone spends money on you.
Once you have money, it is a good idea to spend money on someone else.

I think about this at the store sometimes.  It was on the list of things happy people do that Hank Smith quoted in the talk we listened to last week. I think about it because there was a time early in our married life when I could go through my closet and list off who gave me almost every article of clothing.  I had actually only bought a couple of things myself. We just didn't have spare money.  My mother-in-law was great at making up occasions to give me things.  I remember getting a shirt with a "Happy Spring!" note, and I'm sure there were other "occasions" that aren't usually celebrated with presents!

Some of the clothes could have been from Grandma Heelis giving me money -- "Happy St. Patrick's Day!"  Derek's Grandma didn't just send money.  She loved to buy people things.  I don't think anyone ever went away from her house empty handed!

I think about buying things for people at the store, and sometimes I do, but often it goes like this:  "I should buy one of my girls a shirt!" I think.  And then, after looking around for a while I am buried in doubts over whether I really know what size to buy or if they'll really like it.  Never fear!  I have, while looking for presents for them, managed to find myself a little something!  Ha ha ha!  I really need to work on this one.  Perhaps I'd better just go with the sending money thing when it comes to clothes!    Then I can think of something else to buy that would brighten a day -- like flowers.  Or chocolate.  Or a book.  Or maybe a bag of balloons!  Anything that would make the day brighter for someone else would for sure make my day brighter as well.

*Photo by Josh Appel on Unsplash