My daughter made this drawing for me that says “May you give love and get love”. She said you say it all the time. It touched my heart when she shared this with me! Giving is something that is very important to me. Giving is an act of love and kindness. Love is something that is beyond romance with a partner, and is something felt between friends, pets, the earth, etc. It is what connects us together and doesn’t run out (ie, you can love as many people or places as possible!). For me, this means unconditional love and kindness. This can be expressed in many ways and not just giving stuff. Some people find that they will give stuff with expectation that someone owes them something in return and in essence is a form of control. By definition, unconditional love is exactly that – giving to just give. It feels really good in your soul to give, because you see/feel how your actions impact others in positive ways – this is what it means to me by “get love”. We are all connected, and when we recognize that, behave that way, then giving is easy. Recently I received birthday money from my father-in-law. It is hard for him to pick things out and make those kinds of decisions, and so he always says to find something you want. This is very generous, and I always feel I want to get something for my kids, family, or friends. I like to share – and that is one way to give. This year I gave it to a friend for something special and thoughtful. I knew it would bring them joy, and my friend shared with me how they could see it brought me joy by giving. This is more powerful and valuable than any kind of material stuff. It is a permanent memory connected with a feeling of joy, kindness, and love. Giving is essential and natural to us.
