Be Generous with Your Time, Talents, and Heart
By Bill Conley
Moral to the Story:
Life feels better when it’s not all about you.
Helping others brings a deeper kind of happiness.
When you give your time and gifts to serve others, your heart grows full.
The more you give, the more joy you’ll receive.
Gracie the giraffe had the tallest
neck in all of Sunny Savannah.
She could see the sunrise before
anyone else, nibble leaves no one else could reach, and peek over the treetops
to spot rainbows in the sky. But lately, Gracie didn’t feel quite like herself.
She had tried dancing with the
zebras.
She had played tag with the cheetahs.
She even twirled in circles until she got dizzy.
But something was missing.
One morning, as she walked past the
watering hole, she saw Tilly the Tortoise struggling to carry a basket of
berries.
Gracie paused.
“Need help?” she asked.
Tilly looked up, smiling. “Oh yes,
that would be lovely. These berries are for my soup, but it’s a long walk
home.”
Gracie bent her long neck, picked up
the basket with her teeth, and gently carried it all the way to Tilly’s cozy
little home under the acacia tree.
Tilly looked at her and said,
“You’ve made my whole day.”
Gracie’s heart felt funny—like a
warm, glowing balloon.
That night, she couldn’t stop
smiling.
And that’s when she realized something
important.
Helping others felt better than
anything else.
The next day, Gracie looked around
the savannah. “Who can I help today?” she wondered.
She spotted Benny the Bird trying to
hang a swing from a tree branch.
But he couldn’t reach.
Gracie giggled. “I can
reach!” she said.
She tiptoed over, stretched her
neck, and looped the string over the perfect branch.
Benny chirped with joy. “Now all the
little birds can swing!”
As they flew back and forth in the
breeze, Gracie smiled again.
Another warm feeling inside. Another
happy heart.
Later, Gracie saw a group of monkeys
sitting in the sun, looking grumpy.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“We forgot our instruments,” they
pouted. “Now there’s no music for the dance.”
Gracie’s eyes lit up. “Wait here!”
She galloped to her treehouse,
grabbed her old drum, and brought it back.
“Boom-boom-ba-ba-boom!” she played,
and soon the monkeys were clapping and dancing.
“I didn’t know you could play!” they
cheered.
Gracie laughed. “I haven’t in a long
time, but helping you reminded me how fun it is!”
The more she helped, the happier she
felt.
She used her long neck to pick fruit
for the tiny bush babies.
She used her legs to carry water
jugs for the flamingos.
She even used her time to sit with
Mr. Warthog, who was lonely and needed a friend.
Day after day, Gracie found little
ways to make a big difference.
And she noticed something
wonderful—every time she helped, her own worries and grumbles melted away.
She didn’t need to spin in circles
to feel good anymore.
She just needed to give.
One cloudy afternoon, a little lion
cub named Leo came running up.
“Gracie!” he panted. “It’s Mama’s
birthday, but I forgot to get her a gift!”
Gracie leaned down and said, “Let’s
think together.”
Leo’s ears drooped. “I don’t have
money or big things.”
Gracie smiled. “You have you.”
Leo blinked. “Me?”
“Yes,” Gracie said. “Your time, your
smile, your love—that’s the best gift.”
So Leo painted a picture using
crushed berries and leaf juice.
Gracie helped him tie a bow around
it and walked with him to deliver it.
Leo’s mom opened the picture, smiled
so big, and hugged her son tight.
And just like that—Gracie felt it
again.
Joy. Real joy.
Later that week, Gracie walked to
the watering hole, heart full.
She didn’t need to chase fun or
excitement anymore.
She had discovered something better:
Helping others filled her heart with
something deeper than laughter.
It gave her purpose.
She saw Tilly waving. Benny flew by.
The monkeys drummed. Leo roared with joy.
Gracie looked around and whispered
to herself,
“When I give to others, I receive
more than I ever expected.”
And with her long neck stretched
toward the sun, Gracie walked on with a smile that reached all the way to the
sky.
Moral Poem:
When you give your heart, your smile, your hand,
You help lift others—help them stand.
And in return, your joy will grow—
For giving love makes kindness flow.
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