It’s Called The Generosity of Spirit

Are you calculative or kind?

Photo by SumUp on Unsplash

I didn’t know there was an unspoken tradition in Canada about paying for the person behind in the drive-thru line. I’d call that a generous act of kindness towards a stranger, something I have never experienced.

When it comes to money matters, I believe each of us has a unique relationship with money that is often the culmination of a myriad of factors, including upbringing and personal history with earning and spending. Two children with the same parents and upbringing end up having completely different relationships with money.

I’ve always found that interesting, and I think it would make for an excellent research study, if there isn’t one already out there. There is no stereotype here, but the friends I’ve been surrounded with since my teenage years have modeled the “generosity of spirit” when it comes to “paying the tab” at restaurants.

I am not sure if things have changed in India now, but growing up in the 90s, it was common for the person celebrating their birthday to treat their friends to a meal. When I moved to the United States, I learned that it was the opposite — the friends take the birthday boy or girl out for a meal. Both practices work, and I try to mix them up from one year to the next.