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I've been reading about Warren Buffet's record-shattering $31 billion gift to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation dedicated to curing the world's worst diseases and improve American education.   Now the foundation is bigger than the next 9 charitable organizations in the whole world combined.    Gates and Buffet, friends for fifteen years, are truly remarkable men, who believe strongly in importance of using their wealth to help others.

I think acts of generosity are contagious because our humanity down deep drives us to be givers and to help the world and people around us.   Small gifts of time and caring are important and contagious too.   In a prior column, I related a story about a stranger, named Tom, who gave me an important gift.   He helped me conquer my fear of heights by coaxing me to parasail with him in the Bahamas. Soon thereafter, my thoughts of Tom's gift to me triggered a gift I gave to my grandmother Nonnie.   The gift I gave her was an audience to listen to her sing her heart out.

As Nonnie approached her 90th birthday in 1997, I grappled with what would be a suitable gift from me.   A bathrobe, lotion or jars of jam just would not do.   It had to be very special and a celebration of her life.   Then it came to me.   The gift should have something to do with Nonnie’s songs.

At that time, she had all her faculties, her good humor, and her near perfect recollection of the melody and lyrics of scores, actually hundreds of old songs, tunes like "Let Me Call You Sweetheart," "That Old Gang of Mine," "Side by Side," "East Side West Side, Always," "Peg of My Heart," and so on.   They were songs I had heard since my childhood.  

When I was in my teens, I would listen to her sing those songs sitting at the kitchen table or standing by the sink.   She would take out her black and white marbled composition book containing the lyrics of over 200 songs, written by her in hand, added to over the many years since she was in her teens. I would hold the book and read along while she sang by heart, never missing a word.   One song would lead to another.   I would often chime in, as well as other relatives who happened to be there, especially my dad .   Sometimes, I would steal a waltz with Nonnie  in her kitchen especially when we sang together "Let Me Call You Sweetheart," a favorite of hers and of my grandfather who had passed away long ago.

Nonnie ’s voice was sweet and youthful.   Everyone smiled at the sound of her singing.   The kitchen always seemed sunnier when she was singing.   I even videotaped her to capture those special moments as a treasure for when the singing stopped.

One Saturday, I envisioned the birthday gift I could give Nonnie . How about having her sing to a group of people, perhaps bringing pleasure to both her and the group? She agreed!   Usually quiet and reserved, Nonnie agreed to sing in front of a group of people!   I proceeded to plan the event.

Within two weeks, the idea became reality.   There she was in August  and a few days before her 90th birthday singing many of her favorite songs at a microphone to over twenty residents of a nearby nursing home, many of who sang along with passion.   Two professional musicians accompanied Nonnie .   Scott , a talented pianist, who had given Kelly  piano lessons, referred them.    Lou, playing bass and John , playing guitar, would start playing for a few seconds after listening to her begin the song.   They caught on to the chords and melody even for songs they never heard before.   She sang over fifty standards without forgetting a word, and not needing her songbook.  

My father, wife and daughter were there to give Nonnie  support, she felt right at home because the crowd was friendly and appreciative.   During an intermission, we served refreshments and pastries, and then came more of Nonnie’s songs, totaling about fifty.   At the end, she received a rousing applause from the audience, and each person came forth to give their thanks and say, "Hi, Mary ."

The local newspaper reported the event.   The next week, we had a large family gathering at my house.   We all watched the video of the event in celebration of her birthday. My grandmother spoke about the event for months.   

Within a year of her "concert," Nonnie's health started to fade. But she was able to sing most of the songs until she was ninety-three and sang "Let Me Call You Sweetheart" up until the last month of her life.  

Tom's gift to me turned into my gift to Nonnie and then her gift of singing songs to strangers, and then their gift of expressing their gratitude to her.   They made her feel very loved and very valuable.   And, of course, her songs and the related love have been treasured gifts to us family members hat live in our hearts forever.  

About the author.

Frank Sisco is a CPA and Personal Financial Specialist, and author of many articles about personal finance and issues of life and money.   His firm, Financial Management Corporation, is located in New Rochelle, NY.  Frank makes his home with his wife and daughter in New Rochelle, NY.  He can be reached at 914.740.4422 or by email at ideasmoney@aol.com.  Visit his website at www.LifeAndMoney.com, which contains this and prior articles.