Part 2-Give and take

Or I should say give and receive?  Anyway its all the same right?  Well not really.  You can give, you can take or you can receive and maybe in that order?    Receiving is not the same as taking?  I’m also saying just because you give doesn’t mean one will take it &/or receive it.  For instance my child can take a toy from another child and the other child be totally unwilling to give it, will take it back, give up or become passive aggressive.  Oh yeah, the joys of “giving”.

That said I thought of another personal example of giving last night.  Well more than one really, but lets just sees what spews forth shall we?  I was reading an intro to, yet another female related issue, self help book and it stated that women in general are taught socially that it is selfish to give to themselves.  That we as women, have adapted from self enrichment to others centered.  This makes me think about things that I have learned up to this point but are constantly at battle with one another since. 

I have been told to care for myself but to also care for others and if I neglect myself than how can I have anything to offer another person.  This is how, I, as mom work.  If I don’t have the energy to give than just like my body goes into auto pilot  to survive the day, regardless of the shape its in, I will continue my attitude of sacrifice and it is not in a very loving/energetic  way.  The word “duty” comes to mind or “obligation” and I hate thinking of giving in those terms.

There is also another idea that comes to mind.  Scarcity.  We hord to ourselves what we can and all the hard work it took to give to ourselves, we refuse to be willing to give it away thinking it will be all that much more work to gain back that which we obtained in the first place.  Or we are always thinking and yearning for what we don’t have!  I subscribe to a daily word by Scott Noelle and his tidbits are little gems for parents.   Todays blurb was on this idea of scarcity and you can read it here: http://dailygroove.net/scare-city 

My question is where did we loose the wonder and enjoyment of giving?  I look at my oldest and hope she will never outgrow living in the moment, enjoying what she has and not wanting more, more, more.  Sure there are things my kids would like or want but when it comes down to it they adapt.   They use their imaginations, explore, pretend and create with what they have.    To quote Scott Noelle “They give and receive love endlessly while their parents carefully ration their limited supply” and this applies to pretty much all areas-time, energy, food, etc…

I love that my kids are teaching ME the value of contenment.

~ by itsjustmythang on August 4, 2008.