On Giving

You give but little when you give of your possessions.
It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.
For what are your possessions but things to keep and guard
  for fear that you may need them tomorrow?
And tomorrow, what shall tomorrow bring to the over-prudent dog
  burying bones in the trackless sand
  as he follows pilgrims to the holy city?
And what is fear of need but need itself ?
It is not dread of thirst when your well is full,
  the thirst that is unquenchable?
There are those who give little of the much which they have,
And they give it for recognition,
  and their hidden desire makes their gifts unwholesome.
And there are those who have little but give it all.
These are the believers in life and the bounty of life
  and their coffer is never empty.
There are those who give with joy, and that joy is their reward.
And there are those who give with pain and that pain
  is their baptism.
And there are those who give and know not pain in giving,
  nor do they seek joy, nor give with mindfulness of virtue.
It is well to give when asked,
  but it is better to give unasked, through understanding.
Therefore give now, that the season of giving may be yours
  and not your inheritors’.
_{Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet}