For week thirty-nine in our year long calligraphy challenge the prompt was Shel Silverstein. Use anything he wrote to inspire your work. I will never forget the first time I read the book The Giving Tree, it changed my perspective about giving. Each time I have read it since I tear up and am reminded that giving your all does not mean you are left with nothing, on the contrary it means you gain everything you ever wanted.
Giving and generosity are words we use with things like money, time and gently used items. It is not often a word we use to describe giving of ourselves. There is no tax deduction for giving your gifts to others, and there is no receipt needed to prove that you did it. There is no salary, no W2 and no one who knows what you have done. Giving of ourselves is the greatest way we have to serve our fellow man.
Freely giving of yourself means doing it without expecting anything in return. For people all around who are obsessed with posting, tweeting, trending and influencing it may sound strange to do something even if no one else ever knows about it. It is a concept that few embrace and even fewer are able to fulfill. The tree in this story serves as an incredible example of how it’s done. She doesn’t ask or tell, she simply gives what she has to a boy she loves. And for her life that is enough.
In these strange days take a moment and read or reread this book. It will give you the courage to be the person you always wanted to be no matter the cost. Sometimes giving yourself away, no matter what it is, turns out to be exactly what you were looking for to fulfill your days. Read the book and try it no matter the cost.
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