When I returned home from the grocery store my husband told me that my wallet had been found. It was lost and found in the same moment, I hadn’t even known it was missing. Antonio had come across it on the street where I’d loaded groceries into the car. He called AAA (my membership card was in the wallet), to get my phone number.

The next day I placed a $20 bill on the pages of the open book a homeless woman was reading. Seeing her sitting on a bench in the sun warmed my heart. A few minutes later Antonio came to mind and his saying, “We all need each other” when I’d called to thank him. His gift of returning my wallet was inspiring my gifting others. It was contagious.

The Pope recently said that giving to the needy is “always right.” According to a NYT article, he said that giving in a way that retains dignity is as important as the gift. We need to look the person in the eye and see them as human.

In light of the increasing needs of so many, we will be repeatedly called on to stretch our capacity for generosity. What opens your wallet? What inspires you to give money or to give of yourself in other ways?

Published 3/25/17