Life’s Bounty
“Bounty always receives part of its value from the manner in which it is bestowed.” Samuel Johnson
The yard sale is today. Yesterday was non-stop preparation with my friends, Mandy, Libba, Carol and Ricki. Sorting, cleaning, placing—the kind of work done by women’s hands forever. We had help from Mandy’s children, Olivia and Grissom, and from pastors, Sally and Bud. Just about everyone in the church donated items—a bounty of cups, vases, lamps, clothes, toys, books, and useful and not-so-useful household items. Everyone gave something. The sale aims to raise the money for one of our children, Chris, to go on an ambassadorial trip to the United Kingdom this summer. Chris is a smart, athletic teenager whom everyone loves. We are part of his ‘village’ and as such want to give him the same opportunity that many of our own children had.
Most of us give from our bounty. We can afford to give and in our heart of hearts, we want to share. But giving away our stuff to benefit someone else is also a service to us. It helps us to clean out and clear out, to get rid of what is no longer needed, to free up space, to feel good about ourselves. It is recycling at its best.
When Chris is a grown man with children of his own, he likely won’t remember our names, but he will remember this trip; this time spent in a different land on another continent. His understanding of history and culture will be widened and enriched. And young people in the UK will learn from him; will experience an American, not there as a tourist, but as a fellow athlete and scholar. Maybe Chris will someday be part of a village that helps another child go abroad to learn about another culture. As part of the circle of life, we all give and we all receive.
In the spirit,
Jane
No comments:
Post a Comment