As I think about getting down to what I want, one thing I know is I want to give more to my larger community. And so a purposeful challenge has come my way..must be the universe answering my call or my brother as he recently sent me a link to The 29-Day Giving Challenge. I tucked it somewhere in the back of my mind and forgot about it for the last week or so when we were on vacation and while soaking up what feels like the last days of summer(that's for another post). The point is I did finally remember. Just when I was getting ready to start my list on what I really really really want, I remembered this 29-day challenge of giving.
And so begins my list of what I really really really want....
I want to give more.
I want to impart the spirit of giving in our five-year old.
I want to give more as a family.
I want to come up with a giving project we work on together for our community locally, globally.
And though i do give fairly consistently by giving away what we no longer need or by reaching out in other ways, sharing meals, volunteering in my neighborhood, making monetary donations when I can, I know I can always do more. The 29-Day Giving Challenge presents me with the opportunity to give more, to do more and to be more conscious about giving. To bring more presence and awareness to giving.
This morning early as I was researching this Challenge, I thought and thought about what I could give away today, first thinking in tangibles. Then I stopped thinking so much.My girl woke up and it was time to step outside myself and be with her. We colored and visited and talked about the day.
And then my phone rang and without planning I had the chance to give, to listen, support, be there for a very dear sister-friend. Remind her of all she is and all she does. Remind her of her own strength, power, beauty and selflessness. Remember together how much we give and receive in our friendship. And how this is giving in the intangibles.
And my five year old, though I've not signed her up for this challenge she certainly has a voice and on her own she gave today. She and her Papa made a batch of brownies for our new neighbors. This was her idea. We walked them next door tonight and though she was feeling quite shy when it came time to hand them over it just didn't matter as this was her heart, her giving in this moment. She forged the way for all of us tonight in our family to reach out and say hello. I felt so proud of this girl of mine.
In talking to this dear friend I wrote about just above, I reminded her and through that myself that wanting something for our self does not make us selfish. I think by knowing more of what we want, we become more aware. More clear. More purposeful. I do believe we must nourish, love, feed and honor our self in order to give more. I am feeling excited about exploring more inside and through it perhaps find whole new ways of giving.
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