Chapter 32. Come Along with Me: Sharing My Days with Others

Though Alex Shumate served with me on The Ohio State University Board of Trustees, he is perhaps better known for his role as Global Managing Partner of Squire, Sanders, and Dempsey Law Firm. Several years ago, as we discussed the university's projects and financial needs, he told me about a popular saying he once heard at church: that when it comes to giving, you can choose to offer up your time, talent, or treasure.

One click of the remote control confirms what Alex taught me that day; we are people who reach out and give in a variety of ways, both tangibly and intangibly. With warnings of floods or other natural disasters, we witness volunteers lobbing sand bags and hammering windows shut in pounding rain. They labor around the clock to protect the towns and cities they love from the threat of storms and perilous weather. In similar fashion, schools and churches rushed to ship clothes, medical supplies, and food to Haiti in the wake of this year's devastating earthquake.

The Internet sounds off about neighborhoods coming together to help a friend keep their home, buying it back from the bank, effectively pulling it out of the pit of foreclosure and rescuing their neighbors from homelessness. Folks come out in force to serve Thanksgiving dinner to those spending the holiday in shelters across the country. Our world gives us a plethora of concrete examples, demonstrating what it looks like to give back, to share with others, ...

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