I'll be honest — at first, I hade no idea what giving Tuesday was nor when it took place. But after hearing about it, I became curious as to why it is a holiday and what it consists of. Apparently, it takes place on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving to promote a giving holiday season for Christmas. It is promoted by social media, mostly Twitter, and involves giving in ways that benefit your community or a foundation. Now, I think this is a wonderful idea — it ends up helping foundations and communities that need it and gives a chance for people to have a better holiday — but at the same time it leaves me uneasy.

Growing up, I was always taught to treat elders with respect, which means being nice and also helping them any way you can. I also grew up with a mother who loves her kids unconditionally, and did everything in her power to make sure that we had everything we needed. I also noticed growing up that my mother constantly would do things for family and friends who she cared about, as well as occasionally doing small things for people she did not know that well. I grew up watching my father leave for work every day and coming back late at night, as he worked at crisis units for adults and sometimes children. I did not realize back then that I was growing up in an environment that would cause me to care and want to help people more than the typical person.

But looking back on it, I see that because of this, I do not understand a lot of holidays. I do not fully understand the point of holidays like Valentine's Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, or Giving Tuesday. But the only reason I do not understand and celebrate these holidays as most people do is because I do not see the point of having one day to show your love to someone when it means more to show your love to someone spontaneously, or with little reminders on days here and there, or a day to honor people who have served, and what I mean by this is why just one day to honor them? They have dedicated their life to keeping everyone safe, and we should honor and thank them every chance that we can. I remember growing up honoring veterans, and continuing to every time I go to native gatherings and events with my family or friends, where there we pray, sing, and make sure they are the first to be fed there. Along with Thanksgiving and Giving Tuesday, why have one day where you are thankful or give your time to help someone?

I will say, as nice and thoughtful as these holidays are, to have one day focused on helping and being thankful for someone or someone, I like giving back on days where people do not think to give back. Donate your blood or volunteer in your community, at a foundation, donate canned goods, or add on the extra dollar to your purchase at the store that will donate it to a foundation they are affiliated with. It does not have to be every day that you give, there are days when you can just be mindfully thankful of people in your life, and this will give you a brighter outlook on that day. And when you do give, it does not have to be something huge. It can be as simple as giving a pen to someone in class, holding the door for someone, thanking veterans for their service when you see them, or giving someone medication if they are sick or have a headache.

Giving does not have to be focused on certain days, although the days do seem beneficial because people who do not usually give will be more likely to on these days. And I will admit, holidays geared towards helping benefit foundations and communities that normally get neglected the rest of the time, which is a great thing, and I think that holidays like Giving Tuesday should keep doing what they are doing. I just hope that within these holidays, it pushes people to become more mindful and help on days that aren't specified toward giving and thanks, and that it becomes a part of their lifestyle. It's a good thing to care and want to help, and the only way communities and life will start to look better, is if people start to show acts of caring more often. So hold more doors, thank more blue collared workers, and start looking at what you can do to make your life fuller.