Winston Churchill stated:  “You make a living by what you get. You make a life by what you give.”  I never expected that quote to come from him. Regardless of that, the words resonated with me.  I can’t recall who said something about making a life when I was a young person, but I remember thinking that it had to do with making a family.  I think that is a lovely image of making a life.

Making a life by what you give can mean many things.  We can give time to others, do good works for others, pray for others, give support to others.  The ways of giving are endless.

So, where does one begin?  I suppose the question must  be answered by each individual.  What makes a life for you?  Whatever the answer, it is determined by the beliefs, attitudes and mores of each person and how one sees their role in their personal lives and in society.

But for me, giving is essentially an act of love in all of its many forms.  It starts inside a person and is at least partially determined by the way your life began.  The way we are treated in the beginning of our lives colors the way we think and view the world around us.

I often think about my grandparents coming to this country just after the turn of the century.  If my grandparents had not emigrated to America, I would never have been born.  My grandparents came from different countries to make a better life for their children.  And because of that, my parents met and made a life together.  I am eternally grateful for the life I was given, the life my parents made for me.  In the end, life is what you make it.