“Giving of any kind . . . taking an action . . . begins the process of change, and moves us to remember that we are part of a much greater universe.”
― Mbali Creazzo
In an idea borrowed from a friend’s Facebook post:
The first three people to
comment on this post will receive from me, sometime in this calendar year,
a random gift—perhaps a baked good, a fun treat, or a surprise. There will be no warning and it will
happen when the mood strikes me.
“Gracious acceptance is an art—an art which most never bother to cultivate. We think that we have to learn how to give, but we forget about accepting things, which can be much harder than giving.”
—Alexander McCall Smith
“Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.”
—Holy Bible, King James version
“For so many centuries, the exchange of gifts has held us together. It has made it possible to bridge the abyss where language struggles.”
—Barry Lopez, About This Life: Journeys on the Threshold of Memory
Let me hear from you, strangers and friends— unheralded angels!
image:
the unstinting gift of nature, Thyme and Again
The touching one is to me the one about gracious acceptance. Yes, it is so much harder than giving. Maybe because accepting implies a blind trust in Fate; abandoning yourself to blind trust or faith is no easy task, admittedly, and I am still far from learning to accept what comes my way. So far.
ReplyDeleteRe-reading the quotation, I realize I probably misinterpreted it, or maybe I considered the broader meaning of the concept of accepting.
I'll leave it like that. It's going to be alright anyway, isn't it?
Thanks for sharing this.
Jacopo
I think you've got it just right, Jay! I shall put you to the test soon...
DeleteI am a stranger to your site, I came to borrow a picture from an older article, liked your site style & decided to check out your latest article.
ReplyDeleteI am going through the early stages of learning how to accept, strange how fearful it can be, so yes I graciously accept your offer
Welcome, Alex—all the way from New Zealand, yet!
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