I began my giving seven (7) days ago. I did not journal them, although I did write them down. Most of them have been the giving of myself or my time however I have thought of actual items to give as well. I would like to write about each gift and why I gave it. One of the inspiring actions of the book, 29 Gifts, was learning why and how each gift was given.
Day 1: I gave my chocolate to my husband. I had been to a doctor's appointment and he had graciously gone with me. I picked up two pieces of chocolate at the receptionist desk on the way out. My poor husband had waited so long he was starving. I not only gave him the candy, I also took him to get his favorite snack--a Dilly Bar from Dairy Queen.
Day 2: I do not have a close relationship with my mom. I dole out money to support her like it's water from a faucet, but find it difficult to spend face-to-face time with her. My husband is great at stopping by and changing light bulbs or taking out the trash. Not me, I love her and yet I find myself avoiding time with her. So today I had her to dinner and to watch a movie. I know when she left she was smiling ear to ear! At 85, I should remember to do this more often.
Day 3: I have a consulting business for postsecondary schools. Today I met a client at the location he is starting a new school. I spent a little over an hour with him and gifted him the time. It felt good to meet and discuss his vision and I know he appreciated my donating the time. I call this "giving back" or "passing forward" and every time I do it I remember those who gave to me and believed in me.
Day 4: One thing my husband does not like to do is grocery shopping and yet I see it as a joint outing and time to spend together. I was out of town last week and our cupboards and refrigerator were nearly bare so a trip was necessary. As a gift to Jim, I rearranged my day to include completing this daunting task before he came home from work. This included bringing the bags in and putting everything away. Since I recently had surgery this was of great discomfort and yet the smile on his face when he came home and realized he did not need to go out again and could put up his feet and relax was priceless.
Day 5: Today was a stretch since I did no leave my house. Working from home has its perks, but it also makes for long days inside. Today was a particularly long, meeting filled day. Then I remembered my daughter, Jennifer, is in the middle of her T-shirts for Cystic Fibrosis campaign. I decided to order 2 additional shirts, one for Mom and one just to help her reach her goal. I think the best part of this gift was the ability to do it anonymously.
Day 6: Busy is an understatement in describing my day today. I really had too much on my plate and in the end gave up going to my support group meeting to help my friend Linda with her taxes. This group has helped me over the past 16 months to adjust to a major surgery and subsequent procedures. I really felt like I needed the boost, however, when my friend called asking for help I had said yes. As the progressed and the busyness turned to falling behind I knew I had to make a decision. Not only did I give my time freely to Linda, I had her stay for dinner as well.
Day 7: Today's gift was another one for Jim. I preface this with entry by saying we pay our bills every other week, together usually. It is an arduous task for Jim, who just cannot understand on-line banking and why he can't just go to the utility companies and make the payments. I guess when he retires next year I can send him to this when I need him out of my hair. He came home from work today and pressure washed our white fence, his gift to me. So, after dinner I sent him to bed early, he gets up at 4 am to get ready for work. I went in our office and set up all the bills, including filing the receipts and putting one that needed mailing in the mailbox. I think this was a better gift for him than anything I could buy at a store, except of course a Dilly Bar, but we do need to watch the waistline.
Day 8: Flowers! I sent a small arrangement to a dear friend who is recovering from a heart condition. I know they will brighten her day and bring on a big smile. While a visit needs to be scheduled, the delivery of flowers is always a pleasant surprise. It was fun selecting the arrangement and vase, I only wish I could be there to see her face when they are delivered.
Thanks to anyone who reads this post for letting me list my gifts. I will try to post them more frequently. I want to say that remembering and writing them down has allowed me to regain the positive feeling I received each time. It has only been 8n days and I am already thinking of other gifts. I have my plan for tomorrow already.
I'm reading & loving - thank you for sharing - it's an act of compassionate courage that is not going unnoticed. Your gifts to you Mom and husband and friends are all done so mindfully - it's obvious that there's a lot of love and light there. I truly look forward to reaching more.
