On Giving

I was having breakfast at Jollibee that morning sometime ago, when I saw an old man outside wandering dazedly. After a few minutes of aimless walking, he stopped and found a place to seat nearby, still very visible to me through the glass walls. I thought he might be hungry, and decided that, since I have one hotcake left, I'd give it to him when I go outside.

I did just that, and was a bit taken aback when the old man looked so overjoyed with what I gave him. One would think that you'd be satisfied just because you gave something. But I didn't feel that way at all. It made me feel guilty how the person was overjoyed with what little I gave when I have the capability of giving more but did not consider to. I'm not proud that I gave my left-over when I had the choice of buying another so I can give a whole.

I'm not sure if what I felt was not something I was not supposed to feel, but as soon as I went home I told my mom that what I did made me feel guilty, even when technically, I didn't do anything wrong. I guess that, in giving, one would only feel that you have done right when you have given the most you could give.