Sheryl Valentine wrote:
> carrie:At one time I would have tried NOT to recieve. Maybe New England
> pride or something. Everyone is supposed to take care of themselves,
> or there'd be conditions with the giving, or something. Someone once
> told me not to think of it in a material way (giving and receiving) but
> as a blessing. Take the material value out of it.
>
> sv: I know what you mean. I think that we often don't realize that we really
> are *not* open to receive. Speaking of the sending money thing. A few
> months ago I sent my son 20.00 but never told him it was from me. Recently I
> sent him another 20 and when he opened it he was ragging to me that someone
> owed him $100.00 and only sent him 20.00 and he was pissed about it. I
> said, why would someone who owed you money send you 20.00 anonymously. I
> finally told him that I'd sent it and reminded him of the 20.00 a few months
> ago and asked him if he realized that maybe someone was just ssending him a
> gift. He didn't *even* remember receiving the previous 20.00 even though my
> husband and I were in the room when he opened it! lol! I told him that he
> needs to work on gratitude! lol!
>
That's funny- giving away money stories. Others are in their own
world/perception and who knows how they will see (take) something.
Many years ago (like 1983 or or) when we had teenagers and their
friends, someone sent me an anonymous envelope. They had put in a
clipping of the "police notes" where one of the neighborhood boys had
been arrested for something (I forget what now, nothing serious) the
person had it folded in a napkin and wrote something on the napkin like
"I thought you should see this, because this boy comes to your house".
It looked like "old person" writing. In a way it was creepy because
someone was watching who came to the house, and knew who was who. of
course we all knew about it, and it wasn't a big deal (the kid came
from a good family, too, nice people) It was such a populated area,
outside Boston MA, someone was always getting arrested for something
(like unpaid tickets even)
I hadn't thought of this all this time, till you mentioned anonymous
sending (LOL) We speculated about who it might be, some old busybody
who thought we might not be aware that this person had been ARRESTED
(and out on bail, gone to court, cleared it up, etc)
There were several it could have been. Thinking back I'm sure we were
watched a lot.
> carrie: Currently I have a daugher (and family) who are house hunting,
> living with a sibling in the meantime, and I started crochetting an
> afgan for them. Sort of like a "new house gift". At the same time, when
> I work on it, I align with them finding the perfect home, they can
> afford and getting moved and settled in it.
>
> sv: that's neat -- um, I think that's a "nancy" word :)
>
> carrie: Someone, possibly Ram Dass (or someone quoting him) once said
> knitting
> and crochetting are a form of meditation. I believe it. I can't get
> into working with yarn until the weather turns cooler, though. Doesn't
> seem the same in the hot weather, like summer.
> sv: yeah, I recall hearing him talk about that in a tape how a woman in the
> front row of one of his talks was knitting the whole time and when he asked
> her about it later she said something about it being a meditation
That was it! We must have heard the same tape. I don't think
it was Ram Dass, i think it was someone QUOTING Ram Dass. Tara Singh
maybe? Not that it matters.
Once I get something set up, like the yarn I'm going to use and I
know the pattern (if I'm using one) it flows. last year I found a new
pattern online for socks (I hadn't made in so long I'd forgotten how)
and made a lot- using heavy yarn (and double pointed needles) so they
come out more like slippers. I'd make them for one kid, and another
would see them and want some, and by the time I got everyone done
they'd have worn out the first ones. Now, I have some half finished
from last year (I lose interest in this when it gets warm) and have to
find the pattern and figure it out all over again. Where I left off.
I also made several scarfs this year, something I hadn't done much
of before. But one of the grandkids (teenager) asked me if I could make
her one (grey) so i did. She wanted grey because she loves wolves. A
few years ago I got her a wolf hat (someone made them and sold them on
ebay. Wolves,kittens, etc. fleece hats with ears). Then someone else
(in the family) wanted one.... it doesn't seem hard to make a scarf but
i wasn't sure what size needles and how many to put on, etc.
This is one of them
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y212/starchild_dreams/IMG_2471_8.jpg
>
> carrie: I also like to give/share pictures. I have new ones to put up on
> this, seems like I just get some uploaded and there's more and better
> color. It rained all day today, but I took some nice ones (which will
> be page 4 at some point) of the leaves and mist hanging over them on
> the hills. If it would snow a bit before they all fall off it would be
> perfect. Snow on the colored leaves and the sun shining, sort of like
> the mastercard commercial.... "priceless". And all of this is around
> me, free at no cost.
>
> sv: yes exactly. for many years I've freely given away my lecture tapes, my
> time and now my book and more tapes/cds -- I too see it as a way of giving
> to others and it always comes back to me if only in the joy of being able to
> give of myself in some way.
Wayne Dyer talks about this a lot like he gives things all he can. I
once wrote to him with a comment on something on a tape and he wrote me
a note and sent me 3 of his paperback books, one autographed.
Thanks for the conversation Carrie on this very
> important topic :) Sheryl
Yes, we need to support each other and join in this. The positive
stuff. Instead of giving attention to the negative/meanness. Help
spread it around the world. (funny, negative has come to mean not so
good, but in electricity it's the negative molecules- or whatever,
atoms? that give it the power. one negative charge repells the positive
ones, which pushes them through the wire- material, and creates the
friction and heat. Rough explaination. But the power is created by
repelling)
>
>
>
>
>>
>> Sheryl Valentine wrote:
>>
>> well I don't think of it as giving money to "poor people" but to
>> whomever I feel inspired to send it to
>>
>> The story I told about the person saying there are agencies to take
>> care of poor people was from maybe 30+ years ago. And I agree with you
>> (now) it's not just giving to poor people, it's who it feels right to
>> give to. And when. Not forced- flow. I've bought a car part for
>> someone in July and said "Merry Christmas" (thus it wasn't charity it
>> was an early gift) I don't have a lot of money at any one time, so a
>> few years ago i gave up "doing" Christmas- like trying to buy or make
>> something for everyone for that particular day, and have been doing
>> Christmas "all year round" instead.
>>
>>
>>> sv; well I've thought of you as one of my recipiants (spell ?) in the
>>> past
>>> but I figured with your tenacity you'd figure out it was me! lol! sheryl
>>
>>
>> Well, probably by the postmark (LOL) And you did send me a book and
>> tapes.
>>
>> At one time I would have tried NOT to recieve. Maybe New England
>> pride or something. Everyone is supposed to take care of themselves,
>> or there'd be conditions with the giving, or something. Someone once
>> told me not to think of it in a material way (giving and receiving) but
>> as a blessing. Take the material value out of it.
>>
>> Giving AND receiving are both kind of hard to manage, in an
>> unconditional, flowing, feeling good about it way.
>>
>> Currently I have a daugher (and family) who are house hunting,
>> living with a sibling in the meantime, and I started crochetting an
>> afgan for them. Sort of like a "new house gift". At the same time, when
>> I work on it, I align with them finding the perfect home, they can
>> afford and getting moved and settled in it.
>>
>> Someone, possibly Ram Dass (or someone quoting him) once said knitting
>> and crochetting are a form of meditation. I believe it. I can't get
>> into working with yarn until the weather turns cooler, though. Doesn't
>> seem the same in the hot weather, like summer.
>>
>> I also like to give/share pictures. I have new ones to put up on
>> this, seems like I just get some uploaded and there's more and better
>> color. It rained all day today, but I took some nice ones (which will
>> be page 4 at some point) of the leaves and mist hanging over them on
>> the hills. If it would snow a bit before they all fall off it would be
>> perfect. Snow on the colored leaves and the sun shining, sort of like
>> the mastercard commercial.... "priceless". And all of this is around
>> me, free at no cost.
>>
>>
http://www.angelfire.com/art3/starchild_dreams2/fall06.html
>>
>>
>>
>>>>
>>>> Sheryl Valentine wrote:
>>>>> hey carrie
>>>>> I read your post about 'giving back' and didn't have time to respond
>>>>> then
>>>>> and then lost the thread ;( --- but I started doing something this
>>>>> past
>>>>> year that I'm finding to be a lot of fun. I don't go to church so I
>>>>> don't
>>>>> tithe in that way and usually give donations to different places that
>>>>> inspire me. But I also got the idea to anonymously send money to
>>>>> people.
>>>>> I
>>>>> take a percentage of each deposit as cash and mail it to someone. I
>>>>> like
>>>>> to
>>>>> ask HS who I should send it to. Not large amounts, often $10 or $20
>>>>> to
>>>>> one
>>>>> or several people. It's fun to think of people receiving an
>>>>> unexpected
>>>>> gift
>>>>> in the mail and their wondering who sent it -- most of the people I've
>>>>> done
>>>>> that with probably wouldn't suspect me in a million years, even my own
>>>>> son!
>>>>> lol! sheryl
>>>>>
>>>>> --
>>>> I used to do that too (before I started feeling poor (LOL) I
>>>> remember one time taking a $5 bill (back in the 70's) and taping a
>>>> little bow on it, and mailing it to a local "help" center in our area,
>>>> asking them to please put it up on their bulletin board, in case
>>>> someone comes in who might need it at the time. I felt guided in this
>>>> at the time. I had forgotten, too, at one time I made a bank out of a
>>>> pretty can and dropped all my change in it, with the idea of using it
>>>> in some way to help someone else. Even if I didn't know for sure just
>>>> what at the time, it was the feeling of it.
>>>>
>>>> I've read about tithing, but what gets me is, we are supposed to give
>>>> 10%% to a church or what we feel is a source of our spiritual learning.
>>>> In Catherine Ponder's books she suggests giving it to HER organization
>>>> (church) Which is fine, but since I've been in the position of having
>>>> children and not always having what we might need at the time, I like
>>>> the idea of giving in a more personal and direct way (like you are
>>>> saying)
>>>>
>>>> I once talked about this to someone else (who had no money problems)
>>>> and she totally didn't get it. She said "why should I give money to
>>>> poor people? There are agencies and organizations to help them". But
>>>> there really aren't. Not in a direct/personal way, when they might
>>>> need it. Small, everyday things.
>>>>
>>>> There's also the idea of people feeling "funny" about being given
>>>> something, well for nothing (not a birthday, Christmas, some reason).
>>>> Jesus said in the New Testament to give in secret. I think that's why.
>>>> It keeps the ego out of it. No matter how it's done (if not anonymously
>>>> in some way) there are egos involved. It's also not always clear what a
>>>> person might need or want. Jesus also says "give to those who asketh of
>>>> you". I don't think this always means asking openly and directly. My
>>>> example of "ideal" is, if someone needs work (like to support their
>>>> family) and I know someone looking to have a job done, and pass on the
>>>> name, the man is hired to do the job. Even if he (or she) never knows
>>>> I'm the one who got it together. I think this is what Jesus means.
>>>> Unconditional giving, just for the pleasure of it. Like Wayne Dyer (for
>>>> one) writes and talks about. In fact he's stated that even people
>>>> AROUND the giving/receiving benefit (in good feelings- positive energy)
>>>> from it.
>>>>
>>>> If nobody was open to recieve, nobody would be able to give and done
>>>> without ego, it's the most wonderful feeling for all involved.
>>>>
>>>> Though, I think if I were to receive something in the mail, like a $50
>>>> bill, without any indication of who it was from, it might tend to drive
>>>> me crazy wondering (LOL)
>>>>
>>
