Chapter 77. Many happy returns.
November 25, 2014
The greatest gift you can give somebody is your own personal development. I used to say, “If you will take care of me, I will take care of you.” Now I say, “I will take care of me for you, if you will take care of you for me.” ~ Jim Rohn
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At this time of the year when everyone is fretting over how many shopping days are left, I’ve decided that I want to do something completely radical. I want to return all the gifts that have ever been given to me.
I know, that seems like a rather daunting task, but it’s an idea that has become incredibly important to me. While at first that might sound very unappreciative on my part, especially with Thanksgiving now upon us, it’s actually meant to be quite to the contrary. I find it to be the perfect way for me to express my gratitude—give it all back. Especially the things that fit me the best, the ones that were just the right color, and all the gifts that were gifts from the heart.
As anyone knows who has tried to return something, you’re going to need your receipts, to show where it came from. And for a lifetime of gifts, that is definitely a lot of receipts. But I have them all. I’ve kept them stored and categorized in the attic of my mind, locked in my heart, and the key to retrieving them is in my gratitude.
Every gift is a big list, but, as with any list you have to start somewhere, so I’ve prioritized my first three.
The first to return is the love of my parents. The two people who built a strong nest for my brother and I to mature in until we were both ready to stretch our wings, take that leap of faith and fly on our own. They constructed the nest with love, compassion and security, and it weathered the test of time and they watched with pride as we took flight. But unlike nests in nature, which are abandoned by all as soon as the young venture out on their own, my parents stayed and tended the nest, and there they found shelter under each others wing. But with age their ability to soar has vastly diminished, and I want to provide them with the security and comfort they afforded me when I could not fly.
The second is to return the gift I received from my spiritual guide and healing coach, Staci Oien. Staci allowed me to see my souls true purpose and to embrace it with love. Her vision for her work from the very beginning has been to help people discover for themselves how to love their own lives so fully that they can share that love with others and make the world a better place. Empower your own life and then empower others. Through my work with Staci, I’ve come to embrace every aspect of my life’s journey, including my Parkinson’s, and I’ve found a way to return her gift with an inner voice that has allowed me to share what individuals can accomplish by looking within themselves.
The third is the gift of love at first sight—that immediate and overwhelming attraction to, and love for another that many deem more of a cliche expression than a reality—but I know for a fact exists because I received the gift four times in my life; the first when I met a young girl in a pizza restaurant over 30 years ago, and then three more times with the birth of each of my children.
I want to give that gift to my oldest daughter and her boyfriend.
You see, I know there’s going to be a proposal tonight (he very respectfully, asked me for my blessing).
And as I sit here thinking of my daughter as a future bride, I can’t help but reflect on how I was blessed to watch her grow and become the beautiful woman she is today. She captured my heart from the very first moment I saw her—it was love at first sight from the day she was born—and that love has never wavered.
I want them both to always have that vision of each other—a love at first sight—that is blessed with compassion and kindness for each other. And may the love they both feel for each other today, be a gift they can give back to each other for the rest of their lives.
Happy Thanksgiving.
More to come.
Goodreads Book Giveaway
Tremors in the Universe by Robert Lyman Baittie
Giveaway ends December 23, 2014.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.
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A portion of the authors proceeds are being donated to the National Parkinson Foundation and the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research
Tremors in the Universe Copyright © 2014 by Robert Baittie
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