Generosity and Apple Pie

Generosity Begins With How We Think

Generosity isn’t only about giving — it’s about how we interpret each other’s actions. It’s about the stories we tell ourselves when something doesn’t go our way.

In community life, generosity looks less like handing something over and more like holding space for possibility. It’s the quiet decision to pause before reacting.

Generosity of Assumption

It’s generous to assume that a neighbor’s frustration comes from care, not malice. 

It’s generous to believe that disagreement can still hold goodwill. 

It’s generous to ask questions before drawing conclusions.

Those choices might seem small, but they’re what make trust possible. They turn tension into dialogue and keep relationships from fraying under the weight of misunderstanding.

Generosity as Strength

It takes strength to be generous in this way — to meet impatience with curiosity, criticism with perspective, and worry with reassurance. But when we do, something shifts. The conversation softens. The temperature drops. And we start seeing each other as neighbors again, not opponents.

Generosity of thought doesn’t mean ignoring harm or skipping accountability. It simply means beginning from the belief that most people are trying, in their own way, to care for the same shared place.

The Sweetness of Small Gestures

That kind of generosity can be contagious — it spreads through tone, through patience, through the everyday kindness of assuming the best until proven otherwise.

Generosity isn’t weakness. It’s wisdom. It’s the choice to build understanding before judgment, and to remember that the people across the table are still part of the same community.

And Apple Pie

No blog is complete without apple pie. I don't remember where I found this recipe, so please enjoy.

Ingredients

1⁄4 cup	white sugar
1 1⁄2 teaspoons	ground cinnamon
1⁄2 teaspoon	ground nutmeg
1	pastry for a 9-inch double crust pie
5	apples peeled, cored, and sliced
2 tablespoons	maple syrup
2 teaspoons	vanilla extract

Directions ( Default | Numbered )

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Stir together the sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a small bowl; set aside. Press one of the pastries into the bottom of a 9-inch pie pan; reserve the crust.

Toss the apples with maple syrup and vanilla extract. Spread 1/3 of the apples into the pie pan and sprinkle with the sugar mixture. Repeat the layers with the remaining apples and sugar. Cover the pie with the top crust and pinch the edges to seal.

Bake in the preheated oven until the crust is golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes. Allow to cool before serving.