The Receiving Part of Giving

The receiving part of giving.

I often imagine you all pouring a cup of coffee or tea into a beloved, handmade pottery mug, cozying up in the well-worn corner of your couch and beginning your (mostly) Tuesday mornings reading these Wishes for You, either in your inbox or on the Clary & Sage blog. In this way, I see us collectively beginning our day connecting heart-to-heart.

That's the vision I hold as I write these notes to you.

This week and next, I'm in Germany with my Mom traveling from Berlin to Munich over fourteen days. We've been planning this trip since 2018; it was originally scheduled for 2020 as a celebration of my Mom's 80th birthday. Seeing the Passion Play in Oberammergau has been on her Bucket List for a long, long time and she's taking me to see it with her.

It's quite an extravagant gift and I'm giddy. Not only to receive the trip, but also to receive the gift of time, traveling with my Mom!

And I've been thinking a lot about giving and receiving.

Take a minute to think about all the ways you give.

• Maybe you share a big wedge of your birthday cake with a coworker.
• Maybe you buy extra school supplies for your child's teacher to have on hand, just in case.
• Maybe you leave a basket of your garden's bounty on your neighbor's front porch.
• Maybe you call to check on your friend who's had a difficult few weeks.
• Maybe you compliment a stranger's haircut.

My guess is that you don't ever think twice about giving; that brightening someone's day, even just a bit makes your heart smile.

A few weeks ago, I heard the phrase "the receiving part of giving."

It was as if I understood, for the very first time, that in giving, there's both a giver and a receiver.

There cannot be one without the other.

So then, I got curious about what kind of receiver I am.

• Do I accept the basket of fresh vegetables without immediately thinking how I can return the favor?
• Do I accept the compliment on my haircut without mentioning the fact that I'm two weeks overdue for my next trim?
• Do I enjoy that double slice of my coworker's birthday cake without guilt because "I really shouldn't?"

We've grown up with mixed messages about giving and receiving. We tell ourselves that we can give freely, but somehow, we have to counteract and counterbalance the receiving.

Imagine for just a moment, how it would feel to receive something without needing to do anything more in return than simply express your gratitude with a big smile and a heartfelt "thank you."

Is there a freedom in that for you?

If not, could there be?

My wish for you this week, is that you grant yourself permission to simply receive one thing with only a big, beautiful "thank you" in return.