The Joy of Giving/ Not Giving

I was stuck by this phrase when I came across it in a brilliant piece of writing ' I Write' by my friend Maneesha. We all have heard of 'joy of giving, sharing' but this..this 'joy of not giving' I found hard to gulp down. And I started wondering if it really is true, is it?

Giving is not just connected with a noun (noun is a place, person or a thing, they say), giving also means giving up, parting with, sharing, publicising, opening up, talking and on and on. Do we not feel joy in all these? Do we not feel good to open up, come out and extend a hand to shake, or lend a helping hand to the needy and deserving by parting with some of the things money can buy, or publish a poem in a magazine or an article in the newspaper or upload a song on youtube or a photo album of funny moments on instagram? Do we not enjoy writing comments on facebook and posting/ forwarding messages of wisdom drawn straight from the university of whatsapp, tweeting on social media or sending link posts on family and friends' groups? Do we not get exclusive kind of elation to send our daily pic to a close friend or sharing selfie wearing a dress that deserves a 'new pinch' or changing profile pics with a sincere hope of deluge of likes or thumbs up or heart smileys that it would invoke and provoke?
Oh! my mind is getting diverted to the joys numerous of sharing whereas I had all good intention to discuss the 'joy of not giving'. Let's be serious, really.

The clutter in my cupboard and store, the hordes of books I own, the old and no-more-of-use shoes, electronic items, cell phones, chargers, computer and laptops and pieces of furniture, utensils bear ample testimony to the joy of not giving. Everytime I organise a CCC (Clear the Clutter Campaign) with a new- year-like-resolve, I end up hording, storing almost all the things I initially intend to throw, give up, just give away, donate, send to this or that home, oblige a help or whosoever. Does it not symbolise the special kind of joy of not giving? I start feeling at times that with ageing, it is an infectious virus of hording this and that and we rejoice in it, really we do, isn't it?

I dare say that basically, fundamentally, I mean originally we all like the luxury of this our indulgence in joy of not giving but we love to wear the make believe thing about ourselves that it is in giving, giving up, giving away and sharing that we draw real happiness from. If this were true, indeed it is a great trait on which stands the principles of philanthropy and trusteeship. If we are really happy (to help) to share, to give, to donate then believe me,the world is a better place to live in because of us. But how many of us are genuinely like the Sun, the biggest visible giver in the Universe?

Actually, Nature does not believe in the concept of joy of not giving. It believes in giving and giving so generously. All the Romantic Poets from the famous Lake district and in other parts of the world bear ample testimony to this. Not only it gives, it expects nothing in return except the sensitive, silent acknowledgment and letting it be. But do we hear that?

Giving or not giving is a matter of individual choice. I feel that in matters of creation- a composition of a poem or a piece of writing deserves regard and respect to it. Sharing it is giving part of ourselves and not sharing is vice versa. The joy one derives in either of the choices is an individual's own perception. In 'not giving' one is being self-protective from what one is shy of receiving and in giving, one is receiving, too voluntarily or involuntarily.