Receiving things gracefully

People who know us personally will appreciate that I never refuse anything I am offered! My thinking behind this is that if I say, "No, thanks!" to someone too many times, they stop offering and find someone else to give their surplus to. I may not need or like what is on offer, but I always accept as I know that I can find someone else who needs or wants what is on offer, and as long as someone benefits in the long run, surely that is a good thing.

UJ frequently brings us asparagus when it is in season, and I hate the stuff! However, I know that the FH loves it, so I accept and just cook enough for him at the mealtime. I also have two neighbours who also love it, and think of it as a delicacy, so I am happy to pass a little of it on to their families. A offers me potatoes on a regular basis, and they are great potatoes, so I am pleased to accept them every time! He gave me some sprouting broccoli last week which he had let go to seed a little, and it was too strong to eat, so the chickens enjoyed it!!

Part of the cycle here is the giving - and making the person who is doing the giving feel appreciated! There is a lovely man at band practice who will often give me a little parcel of cooking apples, or a couple of tomato plants, or perhaps some lettuces in season. I accept and then the next week, I may take him some eggs or a jar of jam, which he always thanks me for.

If you offer someone something of which you have a surplus, and they consistently refuse, I think that it becomes harder to continue to offer them things, as you begin to wonder why they are refusing everything. Sometimes you have to realise that they are not interested in the same things that you are, and so they have no need of some of the things; in that case, find a more appropriate recipient. I have a friend who sometimes refuses spare plants for the vegetable garden, and I have realised that hers is a small plot and she is less ambitious with her planting than I am. However, if I offer outgrown clothes for her children, they are accepted!

There is, of course, a lot of truth in the saying that "what goes around comes around" and I believe that the more I give, the better I feel, and that when I am in need, people will offer the things of which I have need. Giving makes even the poorest person feel better because it helps us to realise that we should be grateful for our many blessings, and that we are well off in comparison with so many people in the world. "Pass it on" as much as you can, and the blessings will come back your way, eventually!