Giving

Giving is a precarious function of human existence.  At least it should be.  For every time giving is done with the expectation of receiving in return, it really isn't giving but manipulation.  Giving gifts can often seem obligatory.  Too often we attend a wedding or buy a birthday gift and just make sure that our gift matches the amount that the recipient gave us on our special day—this makes a gift hardly more than a glorified toll charge.  Too bad there isn't an "I-pass" (pun intended and I am sure my wife would disagree).  A gift is precarious precisely because it is unpredictable and underserved. 

A mentor/friend of mine offered me his house in Michigan a couple summers ago.  Tucked away in serene woods, it was gorgeous and featured an in-ground swimming pool--with a water slide that yours truly dominated.  Our family laughed, played, and relaxed together for seven days and nights.  It was a lifetime memory. 

I offered to pay my friend for the experience because it was worth thousands of dollars. My offer seemingly offended him because it missed the point of giving.  His reaction taught me the principle that true giving is unreciprocated.  I learned that gifts need to be received.  Further, the joy his family gained would have been tarnished, or stolen completely, if they received money for their gift.  There was simply no payment allowed because it was a gift.   

Inspired by the gift we had received, our family decided to give a gift of our own.  We took pictures, made memories, and I kept a journal during the time we were there.  I wrote about some of the life lessons the week was teaching me regarding giving, family, and marriage. My wife edited the journal (as she does this blog) and we presented the gift to our friends a month after our experience at their home.  The book was a piece of art commemorating our experiences their generosity provided.  The process in creating it was priceless, just like their gift was. 

This is the very nature of gift giving.