Last night I heard from a friend on her way to another disaster area to institute a tried-and-true program honed on 9/11 and the 2009 earthquake in China. Very early in the morning hours she called for support, reassurance and requested that those helping be remembered. She left to help others and needed to know that help was there for her and her team as well.
Today I received an SOS from friends who were banding together in mediation/prayer to save a little dog that had been attacked by a mastiff. So each one of us immediately, no questions asked, gave the help we could.
I am having so much fun giving aid. More difficult, but every bit as important, indeed perhaps more important, I am learning to receive. In the two examples above I received much more by giving than the ones who received loved from me. Oh, I know these examples seem small, but better that I learn from the small details of life then throw a crisis in my face forcing myself to learn from that. It is self-loving to learn from the day- to-day activities of life.
I am given the gift of feeling good about what I can give. I was given the opportunity to realize that my giving and loving matters. Being asked to help affords me the opportunity to notice how easily and effortless I automatically step up to help. I get to smile that quiet smile I have inside of myself, when I am happy with myself. I get to celebrate when the word came that the dog had been saved. I get to support friends and ask others to do so. I really do get more back than the person I give to.
I didn’t always feel that way. I used to be greedy. I wanted those I helped to feel better, do better, be more because I gave them my “oh so valuable help.” That is a real form of greed, demanding that others do well because I then get to feel good about myself. So how is that any different than what I said above? I said I felt good about myself because others benefited. So how is that different then being greedy and demanding those others do well. The difference is in me. I am now satisfied, most of the time, that I gave the help and allow the receiver to decide what, if anything, they want to do with it.
