Donuts can be generous.

Let me explain.  More than 17 years ago, my wife and I decided we’d pick a place and go there year after year for family vacations.  That place was Estes Park, CO.  The kids have enjoyed it, appreciate the routine and things they call ours—family traditions.

Well, one of the places we’ve come to appreciate is the Donut Haus.  The Donut Haus has been in business for more than 30 years.  They make handmade donuts and pastries.  They say their hours are 6am to 12am, but in truth, they are usually sold out by 10:30.  So we’ve learned to get their early particularly if you want your choice.

What’s their secret?  How do they sell out so quickly?  Generosity.  They have generous donuts.  My favorite is the raspberry filled donut.  But this is no ordinary raspberry filled creation.  In addition to light flaky pastry with just a light frosting glaze, this thing is filled edge to edge with raspberry.  You need a napkin to catch the red raspberry dripping out.

Other places skimp on the filling—just a dollop in the middle and lots of bread.  They are stingy on the stuff that counts.  So we don’t buy donuts anywhere or anytime but the one time we go out to Estes Park.  Their generosity has earned my business.  Alas, if they could only figure out mail order!

There’s a well-known quote, often attributed to Winston Churchill: “We make a living by what we earn and we make a life by what we give away.” Even with donuts.

Bill High

Bill is CEO & Founder of Vyne Legacy. He works with families to equip them with tools to build multigenerational legacies, and he teaches givers and financial advisers on transformational biblical generosity. He is the co-author with David Green of Giving It All Away and Getting It All Back Again: The Way of Living Generously.

Published September 6, 2011

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