What does giving mean to you? When I first read this question, my first thought was, to present something to someone. That was the meaning, plain and simple…but as I was thinking about it, I realized there is actually a bit more to it than that. The Dictionary.com definition is similar to mine, though it has an added phrase, as it states, “to present voluntarily and without expecting compensation.”

“Without expecting compensation.” Is that really the case, 100% of the time? Of course not. There are some things that we give to others and expect – or at least hope – for something in return. Take our hearts, for example. When you fall in love with someone and give them your heart, don’t you expect theirs in return? Now I know it doesn’t always work out that way, but you do tend to have the expectation that it will when you are pining for them.

Now that I am thinking about it, I don’t know if that statement can really be accurate in most cases. When I give a gift, whether it is a monetary donation or an actual item, I don’t expect anything in return. Though, I do tend to receive something…the satisfaction of knowing that I made someone’s day brighter. Or that I helped someone receive a nice warm meal. Or that a child will have a good Christmas this year. So there again, maybe we do expect some compensation – the good feeling we get in return when we help others by giving something.

It is the same way with our time. Volunteering, tutoring, or doing anything for free that involves giving our time for others usually doesn’t warrant something in return. It still gives us the warm feeling of being helpful though. Even if you don’t knowingly expect that, you still do the things that you do because you know they will make you feel good when you help others.

I guess the point I am trying to make is that, while we don’t expect a monetary or physical item in return for giving, we do expect the emotions that we experience by helping others. It may be an unconscious expectation, but I feel that it is still there for most people and in most situations. I know for me personally, it is that way. I enjoy helping others, especially during the holidays, and I love the feeling that giving brings to me.

That’s not to say that I or anyone else gives what we do just to get the satisfying feelings. No, I know we do these things because we want to help. Or because someone is worse off than us and really needs some assistance. I’m just saying that the gratification that comes from our actions of giving is something that we expect/want. We generally do not want something from the actual recipient of our gift, but the feelings of being a good family member, friend, or citizen, which are presented to us through our acts.

Therefore, when I think about the meaning of giving, I would say that I do think it is about getting something in return…in most cases it’s not a physical item I am looking for, but the warm fuzzies of being able to put a smile on someone else’s face.