Giving & Receiving

Giving and Receiving. How do we keep this exchange alive and active in our lives.  I remember the prayer of St. Francis of Assis (13th century) in which he says, “for it is in giving that we receive.” I like to add, “it is in receiving that we are giving.”

A bowl is a wonderful image to symbolize this exchange, for with a bowl we both give and receive. Take the time to really look at a bowl and appreciate it.

In Comfort & Joy: Simple Ways to Care About Ourselves and Others, I write:

Cultivating Comfort:
Comfort is both given and received, and like a bowl you can be a vessel for that exchange. Are there bowls in your life that need to be emptied, in order to make more room for comfort to be received? Are there bowls in your life that need to be filled, so that you have more comfort to give?

Opening yourself to comfort….