Do you love that feeling of doing for someone else? Helping a co-worker find information? Taking soup to an elderly neighbor? Giving directions to someone who’s lost? It re-enforces our belief that we are strong, capable, thoughtful, generous and caring. What a bargain. When we give to others we get back so much in return!
Yet for some of us, it feels uncomfortable to be on the receiving end and accept the care of others.
Two weeks ago, I went skiing for the first time in four years. Big Sky Montana is a magnificent place with soaring peaks and majestic vistas. Like many western ski resorts, it was short on snow! Nevertheless, my friends and I had planned the trip months before and were determined to hit the slopes. Dawn and Mary are expert skiers. Mary grew up with skis on her feet and spent a year as a ski bum back in her twenties. Dawn is an outdoors superwoman – biking, hiking, camping and of course skiing. I took up skiing in my 50’s, but I love it!
I had been visualizing my graceful descents for weeks in anticipation of the real thing. Not only that, I worked regularly with a trainer so I was strong and ready to go. We headed up the lift the first day in bright sunshine. A few yards off the lift, I slipped into a soft fall. Up again. I started making my turns, but unlike in my visualizations, I had to struggle to make my ski’s behave! Down again. Up again. More struggle. Dawn reminded me to use my poles and Mary suggested relaxing. Both made a difference!
I was building back my skill and confidence, but knew I was holding the other two back. As the oldest child and a good athlete, I’m not used to being the “slow poke” or the one who needs help. After another fall, I turned to Dawn and Mary almost in tears and said, “It’s hard for me to feel like the slow one, the inept one, the one that needs help. I hate holding you guys up.”
They laughed and said, “Hey girl, we’re just out here having fun!”– And, I realized, we were. As we headed down the slopes, I watched their agile turns, their confidence and ease. And thought how, when we are willing to receive, we are giving others the gift of feeling strong, capable, thoughtful, generous and caring.
To receive is to give and to give is to receive. Funny how that works.
Tell me how giving and receiving plays out in your life!
Until next Tuesday. YIPPEE!
Elizabeth
We all have gifts. It’s wonderful when we can give and receive all at the same time. For the past year I was blessed with the opportunity to help an elderly couple from my church once a month with some housekeeping and meal preparation and great conversation. While there I was treated to their wisdom and learned the power of their prayers. They recently went to heaven within 8 days of each other and I will miss the opportunity to serve and be served by this dear sweet couple.
Thanks Karen for sharing your experience. As someone said, we are all teachers and we are all students.
Elizabeth