When I was a little kid, I wasn't so much into giving as I was into recieving. I'm not even sure if I liked to give at all. Everything was MINE, and everything that wasn't, should have been. As far as I remember, anyway. I don't know, perhaps I was a more generous child than I am giving myself credit for, but I am sure that, like most children, I was pretty selfish. Ramble ramble.
My point is, things have changed. I love to give. It is so much more satisfying than receiving. Granted, receiving something that is particularly personal does give you that warm fuzzy feeling inside (awwww!) but giving something that you know will make the person feel as though you know them, and what they like, and what means something to them, is such a nice feeling. I gave a copy of my favourite book to a friend today for his birthday, and he was really happy about it. I'm not talking, "oh, thankyou! I love it so much!" happy either. It was sincere happiness. This will sound stupid, but for some reason I don't like too many people reading that book. It feels too special for everybody to read it. And in a way I feel as though it's my own. Perhaps I really haven't lost the selfishness of my youth. But I think that's why it felt so perfect to give it to such a close friend. I don't know if he knows how much the book means to me, but if he did, I suppose he'd realise that it actually meant a lot for me to give it to him.
When did giving become better than getting? It is drilled into us from a young age that "it is better to give than to receive", but only for recent years have I actually felt that as being true. At what point did that happen? Am I just getting more mature? I'd like to think so...
For anybody who is really down in the dumps lately, here is my advice. Give something to somebody. Draw them a picture, make them a card, spend time with them, write them a letter, buy them flowers, whatever. It sound's soooo corny, but it makes you feel pretty good.
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