quote of the day

[ironymaiden]

"When you give a gift, you cannot retain part of it. It is either yours or the other's."
-Carol Berg

Comments

[butterflydrming.livejournal.com]

That's why one's own behavior, on reciept of a gift, is so important. I wonder why it's so hard for people to understand how to accept one?

[ironymaiden]

it is important. i think we assume there's some kind of future obligation attached and resent it.

mostly i want to remind myself that no gift, tangible or intangible, is a bargaining chip. the pleasure has to be in the spirit of the gesture, and not in the expectation that my deeds will build up some kind of points. it's as if i expect the golden rule to be cosmically enforced. that's not the way. live-n-learn.

[butterflydrming.livejournal.com]

Absolutely. The act of giving has to be all that you even *want* to get from it. Anything that comes from the reciever is just frosting.

[ironymaiden]

i never have this fight with the tangibles, really. that's pure joy. it's the intangibles that i'm still learning about.

mmmmmfrosting.

[butterflydrming.livejournal.com]

The intangibles are the really BIG gifts, too, usually. In that regard, I hear you, sister.

[kyooverse.livejournal.com]

I have been reading that quote all day and thinking about gifts.

You see, I am one of those people who usually gives and never thinks about it again... giving things I can bear to part with, but sometimes, or, here lately, I am giving things I cannot bear to part with... things like protecting myself, not letting myself be picked on and other sundry -- gifts from evil kids... gifts I could stand to live without.

I want to give this gift away.

To someone who doesn't always have the voice they need or don't trust they have the strength. I want to give them this gift of self-protection because I have had it for too long and it is getting in the way of my giving the gift of love properly, an endless flow... that gets choked up when love meets self-protection... forgetting that I don't have to protect myself, really.

Some would call it pride, those who don't know anything about the world properly, anyway.

Oh, why is mine so hard? I wish I could be like you and have a Return and not even notice it.

*pouts*

*sports an "I wanna be like Jennifer when I grow up" button*

*grins*

*hugs and smooch*

Q

[ironymaiden]

I want to give them this gift of self-protection because I have had it for too long and it is getting in the way of my giving the gift of love properly, an endless flow... that gets choked up when love meets self-protection... forgetting that I don't have to protect myself, really.

i probably could have used it a few months ago. but it's okay. we're better off without, you and me, if we're strong enough to weather everything it allows us to feel. and i know we are, angel.

[kyooverse.livejournal.com]

I am reading this and I am envisioning your face and nearly in tears.

Oh

I have needed to cry all day.