On this occasion I would like to bring to your consideration some thoughts about the richness of giving and sharing. Giving is a manifestation of our personal fullness. As we give, we experience the magic in generosity. In my various circles of friends, it is a joy to see the wonder-filled ways in which they have chosen to share the richness of their lives. Vibrant flowers from my neighbors’ gardens decorate my home in colorful, beautiful ways. There is always the mutual casual question with care, asking how things are going. Conversations evolve in meaningful ways as the opportunity arises.
In my experience, the most valuable contribution of all is to give with a whole heart.
One afternoon decades ago, while walking down a street in a charming town, a sign in a store window caught my attention and transformed my approach to life. It was a brief poem by Radindranath Tagore, an Indian polymath who reshaped Bengali literature and music in the late 19th and early 20th centuries:
“I slept and dreamt that life was joy.
I awoke and saw that life was service.
I acted and behold, service was joy.”
This became an invitation for further reflection about the ways in which we use our special talents in giving and sharing. A whole new world opened in front of me!
Life becomes a celebration of every opportunity to give as we see the act of service through the eyes of ONE Being. It is in giving that we receive.
A fellow philosopher I deeply admire captured in a sentence the essence of what I consider so valuable, “We all dwell together in the world soul as we co-operate in common well-being by sharing what is best in ourselves and recognizing only what is best in others.”
Listening to every song of life makes it possible to live intensely and share cheerful experience in interactions with family, friends, associates, all people we encounter, and with all creation.
May this day be filled with the Joy of Service!
By Mayte Picco-Kline
