Re: gifting, or anything worth doing is worth doing over
Have you ever looked after something? A fish, a backyard, a pet?
Have you ever looked after someone? A child, a parent, a neighbour?
Congrats! Like me, you’ve had the opportunity to do the same thing over and over. How’s that going?
<repeat>
I pull weeds. Often. I pick up sticks, pine cones and apples. Often. Privileged as I am, I complain about the amount of work it is to care for the green space I enjoy.
I changed diapers. Often. I complained about the number of diapers I changed, combined with humble bragging about using cloth diapers! If you logged your daily complaints, the subject line on many of them would be about people you love the most.
I make dinner. Often. I complain about having to cook. That’s strange because I am incredibly grateful that I have food to eat and the cognitive ability to cook meals. I would be sad if I couldn’t cook.
<redo>
Caring for a yard ( or a pet or a person ) involves repetition. My hobbies reinforce this lesson. Writing means deleting and rewriting. Quilting involves picking out seams and resewing. The more difficult the pattern, the more redoing. Oddly, I’m more accepting of recreational repetition.
I ain’t my Aunt Mary
My Aunt Mary raised a baseball team’s worth of children in a log cabin. She washed cloth diapers over a wood stove for 25 years. She’s still in a good mood!
Aunt Mary is clearly a saint. Ordinary mortals like you and I will have to settle for complaint and gratitude mixed together. I’m okay with that, as long as gratitude stays in the mix.
re: gifting
Generosity means caring for the people around us, and accepting care in return. (Aunt Mary doesn’t drive anymore…) Like other forms of caregiving, generosity is not a “once and done” deal. Generosity repeats.
To learn the spiritual discipline of giving, we’ll have to practice. Many of you will cook dinner today. Again. You’ll have opportunity to be generous in a variety of ways.
Do not grow weary, my friends! Anything worth doing is worth doing over.