On Learning to be Selfless by Cindy

On Learning to be Selfless by Cindy - April 2014 Scholarship Essay

The character that has most influenced me in life would have to by the tree in Shel Silverstein’s The Giving Tree. I first read this book as a child in my elementary class. I thought it was beautiful and magical, touching me to the point of making me teary eyed. I felt for that tree, who gave its unconditional love to the selfish boy. As an adult, I still refer back to the story, and most importantly, the tree. There are several ways in which the relationship between the tree and the boy can be interpreted: mother to child, friendship, religious or even environmental. Yet, no matter which way it is construed, all comparisons have one commonality: unconditional love.

This is the moral that I captured as a little girl and never forgot; it is important that we give love and respect to everyone and everything, because we are all connected. It is the tree’s quality of selflessness that we should share, not just with our loved ones, but to everyone and other living things. That is what the tree comes to represent. I never forgot that story, and the symbolism behind the tree. The tree taught me to show compassion towards others. This is a characteristic that I make a point to practice on a daily basis. Ways in which I try to personify the tree as an adult are by making people smile. I live in a large city, where people are constantly running and checking their smart phone on the way to their next destination. It is easy to become disconnected.

I like to do small things, like smile at the person approaching me, stopping to hold the door for someone, or even giving up my seat on the train or bus for someone who really needs it. They are easy to do and do not require much effort other than having consideration. One simple gesture may completely change a person’s mood that day! To make a stranger smile is very rewarding. It is the tree that made me think of others and how to be unselfish, and for that I am grateful.