the be line

I am caught up in the holiday rush of cards, parties, gifts, decorating and tree trimming and all the while thinking about this comment left on an earlier post:

"I'd love to hear be U's thoughts on Xmas giving."

Lots of thinking and reflecting on gift giving led me to reducing the idea of giving down to its most basic, constant expression. So here is a question for all of us to ask ourselves - what am I giving to each person I encounter as I move through my day?

What are you giving to your family, your neighbors, friends, co-workers, the person in line with you at the post office, the salesperson ringing up your purchase, the stranger who sits down next to you, the driver of the car on the road with you? Silently or aloud, an exchange is taking place. Does it feel like love or disdain? Compassion or irritability? Respect or resentment? I know for me it is not always the first choice.

There is a practice I try to remember to use when making purchases. As I hand money or a card to the cashier or take a receipt from them, I visualize an exchange of love between us. It's a split second. Nobody else knows it's happening, but I trust that it is making a positive difference somewhere, somehow. This is the practice of being, and it's not glamorous. It is just a micro adjustment in my way of approaching a routine situation that will not bring me applause or admiration, but I'm pretty sure it's the one true measure of a successful life. This kind of giving is happening automatically everyday and it doesn't cost a thing, so why not splurge on the good stuff ? These simple, small invisible gifts have the power to change the world. And if you can let yourself believe that, imagine what it could do for your life.

photo by Jacqueline Veissid