Just receive…

I may have said this before. There may even be a blog post somewhere – I honestly can’t remember. But even if I may have expressed this earlier, I experienced it a few days ago and felt the need to write about it. I want to write about how it is sometimes feels easier to give than to receive. And about receiving in general.

I saw my naturopath (and friend) the other day. She had beautiful gifts, she had made – the most wonderful “luscious lemon lotion” and homemade soap. I was very touched. I remembered I had a gift for her and of course, had forgotten to carry it. (Hmm…fact aside, that I saw her again after that, and it is still with me. Sigh…). As I received her gift, I mumbled something about forgetting to bring her gift. About how scatter-brained I was.

She tapped me gently and with a smile, simply said to me, “Just receive”.

Words left my mouth. Thoughts left my mind. I became quiet and did exactly what she told me to do. It was a rich, short and beautiful moment in which I appreciated her gift, her gesture, all the love and effort she had put in making this absolutely fantastic stuff. (Side note: my nine-year-old captured the lemon lotion and now wants to open a store that will sell only that!!).

For me, her two words seemed more valuable than the lovely gifts. And I gave her a hug for the gifts, the words and the wise wise advice.

This is the season of giving and there is beauty in that. But in this season of giving, is it time to remember that receiving is an art in itself? One well worthy of cultivating?

Is it then easier for some to give than to receive? Does it sometimes make us awkward, does it make us wonder if we caused much trouble or inconvenience to the other person (I’m not talking only about gifts, but favors, or any form of effort another person puts in for us).

Giving on the other hand is free of such concerns. It puts us back in control. So does receiving make us lose that sense of control – just a teeny tiny bit? But again, my hunch is that joy and mirth and happiness often involves losing that sense of control – even if it is a teeny tiny bit.

I never imagined I would ever put myself in the control freak category. I still don’t know if I belong in there. I don’t know if there should be such a category even. I do get a sense though that there are times, when certain aspects of our life seem out of control, and we try to control what we can. But again, I digress… I want to write about receiving and all the beauty it can bring to us and the giver.

For when we receive well, we create beauty for ourselves in that moment, feel gratitude, connect with the giver; we create beauty for the giver by receiving well. And what a beautiful complete cycle that it.  

So, in this season of giving… is the best gift to give ourselves the one of receiving?