Supriya's Generosity

We were on the way to the chorus rehearsal today. I had to drop off the checkbook at Manisha's office so that she could write a check for the Katrina victims and today was the deadline for the company match. So Supriya asked me why mommy needed the checkbook. I said, "There was a big hurricane down in Louisiana and many people lost everything they had, their houses etc. We want to give them money so that they can buy groceries and clothes." Supriya's immediate, unprompted response: "I want to give my allowance too. After all this is more important than the watch I wanted to buy!"

This is not the first time we have seen her generosity. Manisha was at Parlee Farms with the kids. Supriya bought some food for the animals there out of her allowance and then shared it with a couple of kids there. She told Manisha, "They wanted to feed the animals too and I did not see their mother coming by with a quarter. So I gave them some of the food."

She has always shared her candy with Aseem without any prompting or coercion from either of us - even when she buys it from her own allowance.

This kind of generosity does not come naturally to either Manisha or me. Supriya owns it and it is one of her Signature Strengths, as Martin Seligman calls them:

Kindness [generosity, nurturance, care, compassion, altruistic love, "niceness"]: Doing favors and good deeds for others; helping them; taking care of them