A side note on giving.
Posted 16th December 2011 at 21:47 by Baphomet
Anyone may or may not agree with me, but one would be hard pressed to deny a couple of facts. Once you give something away it is no longer yours. IF you give something away with the expectations that it will be used a certain way, or any other conditions, then it is no longer a gift because you are still trying to maintain a level of control over whatever the item.
Most often we give gifts not so much to enhance the lives of someone else, but rather our own self satisfaction. It feels good to give. If it felt bad to give I would imagine Christmas would have a very short life span. On occasion giving a gift will make another person's life much better. This is the best scenario because now not only do we feel good for giving, but the recipient feels gratitude and a sense of well being.
I believe the most important thing to remember when giving a gift is to have no expectations when you do. What ever the gift, give it and let the person who receives the gift do with it whatever they please. Even to the point of throwing it away. Once a gift leaves your possession your involvement in the process should end.
It took me many decades to realize these things. I have felt the hurt of knowing a gift went unappreciated. I recall buying one of my boys a Wii game system for Christmas. Two months later he traded it with a neighbor kid for a Playstation game system. I though he was an ingrate at first, then I realized it was none of my business anyway. The Wii system did not belong to me.
A couple things I try to remember when dealing with others, and especially family. I never lend anything with the expectation it will be returned. I never give anything with any expectations at all. That my friends is what true giving is all about.
Most often we give gifts not so much to enhance the lives of someone else, but rather our own self satisfaction. It feels good to give. If it felt bad to give I would imagine Christmas would have a very short life span. On occasion giving a gift will make another person's life much better. This is the best scenario because now not only do we feel good for giving, but the recipient feels gratitude and a sense of well being.
I believe the most important thing to remember when giving a gift is to have no expectations when you do. What ever the gift, give it and let the person who receives the gift do with it whatever they please. Even to the point of throwing it away. Once a gift leaves your possession your involvement in the process should end.
It took me many decades to realize these things. I have felt the hurt of knowing a gift went unappreciated. I recall buying one of my boys a Wii game system for Christmas. Two months later he traded it with a neighbor kid for a Playstation game system. I though he was an ingrate at first, then I realized it was none of my business anyway. The Wii system did not belong to me.
A couple things I try to remember when dealing with others, and especially family. I never lend anything with the expectation it will be returned. I never give anything with any expectations at all. That my friends is what true giving is all about.
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And to add to that.....My daughter was getting the girls in trouble the other day....stated to me she was confiscating electronics and putting them out in the garage. I questioned that.....were these gifts to the girls....oh yeah birthday and Christmas gifts last year....I'm like well if you were MY mother doing that I'd be really really pist off.....those items belong to the girls. She's like...I'm not throwing them away.....yeah but Mary they could get ruined out in the garage.....especially in the winter time. You just can't take shit away like that....that's just not right. Her plan then became to leave the electronics alone and just ground them from using them.......way better in my estimation. I should mind my own business.......sometimes I just go to bat for the girls.....I should mind my own business......repeat again.....LOLPosted 17th December 2011 at 01:30 by sportyblue 
