Give and Take

I found another reading today which set me to thinking.

“Blessed are those who can give without remembering and take without forgetting.”

Melvin Schleeds is credited with saying that. I have no idea who that was, because he isn’t listed in Wikipedia. Despite that, I believe I need to give him credit, just the way it was listed in the book I’m using.

There was a lot of depth in the article, is focusing on our attitude about both. Giving should be necessary to being human. Taking is also necessary. I prefer the word receiving over taking, especially when coupled with giving; Giving and Receiving are each an integral part of being human. We all give and we all receive from our world order.

Every act of goodness, resisting the temptation to be selfish, and the attitude of doing our part are important. By living this way, we are doing the world good. By taking what others offer, food, clothing (even though we are purchasing it) is also doing the world good. We need to be grateful for what we receive, no matter how we do it.

By knowing the balance between giving and taking (receiving), we show an understanding of how important we all are. We should be proud of contributing, and proud of receiving. That is how we pass things along.

Reading the book, Grateful American, by Gary Sinise, has made me realize every American should be a grateful one. He beautifully described how he felt visiting patients who lost all four limbs via IED’s in Iraq or Afghanistan; he shares the feelings he has every year when the Lt. Dan Band performs for the Snowball Express, the charity that takes the surviving children of parents who died fighting for freedom in Iraq and Afghanistan. Every year, at a certain point in the concert, he invites the children up onstage to dance and interact with the band. It helps brighten their day in the happiest place on earth. I learned a lot from this book. I also want to learn how we in Omaha, Nebraska may brighten the day of these surviving children and their families. As Mr. Sinise says, “There is so much more we can do.” He’s right. I’m on it.

I have a feeling this winter will be quite productive for me as an author. The annual NaNoRiMo is in November. I dropped out last year, I was on point the first week, the second week, life interfered and I decided it would be too stressful to try and catch up. I hope this year, I’m able to participate and get much further with my novel. It will be a good use of my time.

I hope the fall is for enjoying the colors, and the leaves fall slowly, not in a windy, cold rainy day like last year. I’ll take what I get, though, and just be glad to live in this free country, with the best military in the world. My hat is off to all the active duty and people who have served in some capacity. Thank you all.

I will see you all tomorrow, and I hope you’ll return. We’re getting more followers, one at a time! I’m grateful for all of you. Let’s get the numbers up to #1,000! Thank you very much! See you tomorrow!

Givers v. Takers

There are countless memes on Facebook about givers and takers. So many of us experience hurt at the hands of takers. Our mistakes are not in the giving; the mistake is whom we choose to give to. Not everyone has the good intentions we do. Should we hide from human connection? To do so is to stunt our own growth. Yes, there is risk involved. To truly live, we must take risks. It does not mean life should be only in a safe zone, totally predictable.

We can learn to forgive instead of harbor resentment. Resentment harbors in the victim and harms him or her. The act of forgiveness releases the resentment and the victim. It has nothing to do with the wrongdoing or the person who caused the hurt. The act of forgiving is a conscious thing. You don’t have to trust them. It doesn’t mean you’ll be friends. It means you will be free of the resentment.

Freedom from the resentment changes your view of the world and the imperfect people in it. Your cynicism becomes trust. Trust can lead to love, and we all need more of that! Old hurts are best left in the past. Forgiving them leaves them there. Resentment is a thief of the heart. Grudges get heavy to carry around. They cloud your decision making. Doom and gloom reign. Who needs that? I do not understand staying stuck in the muck. When I was there, I was unhappy. It was draining and stifling. I did not want to be one of those mothers who was a martyr.

This side of forgiveness is so beautiful. It is a place many never get to live. The Babe lives here. I have learned to forgive. He’s encouraged me. He knows my hurt. God has been so good to me. I recognize when God is teaching me a lesson or telling me what he wants me to do.

Often it is about whom to ask questions of or who to talk with at a conference. It isn’t necessarily confined to spirituality, yet within many of the friendships I developed over the past couple of years, they are regarding writing, sharing stories to heal, and they are based in the spirituality. The credit always goes to God. God puts us in each other’s lives to fulfill purposes. We may not even realize it.

What I do realize is I must get back to slaying the beast that is the tax return for 2021. I am seeking medical and dental deductions at present, and won’t stop until I find some more. It will make a difference between paying and breaking even. Breaking even is quite attractive at this moment. Have a beautiful day. See you tomorrow!