As I write this article, it is Easter Sunday and a good friend has given me a gorgeous Easter cake that she made. She is a wonderful person aged about 86 but mentally a good 20 years younger. She is a regular reader of this blog and always has something of value to give me – in terms of her wisdom – as well as pointing out how I could have said things differently, which I accept willingly. When I saw her gift, I said to her “Helen, this is a perfect gift”.
Having eaten her cake, I now say to her “It was a gift of perfection”. Whilst I had no objections to eating her cake (except for the intake of a huge load of calories), she did set me thinking about the gifts we receive every day almost without noticing them and thus usually totally ignoring them.
Each day, things happen to us, with us, around us, as well as events that we make happen to others (hopefully for their good as well as ours) and it is our hoped-for skills that make these gifts a gift of perfection. In other words
“It's the carpenter's skill not his tools that matter when making a table”
Perfecting our skill of giving is a tough and demanding job, but I hope that each of you can and will embark on the journey with me – it’s an interesting one!
Until next time (and enjoying my calories),
Peripatetic Scribe
A wonderful blog post again, P.S.!
ReplyDeleteI fully agree with you. Giving is essential and it is no wonder that different religions have all embraced it as one of the fundamental spiritual concepts. Nevertheless, people have recently been focusing on many other (often useless) things and have forgotten about it. Sadly, everything is often taken for granted. It is merely during Christmas and Easter that they remember it for a while and then proceed walking their selfish paths. But we have to keep on reminding others, as well as ourselves, and keep on hoping.
Lucana
Good post, P.S. and if you look under the surface a whole lot of deep meaning, even down to the carpenter! A beautiful piece of "verbal engineering". Thank you from New Zealand.
ReplyDeleteLucana - thank you for your comment. I fully agree with your sentiments. You are right in saying people have short memories but this "failing" is often a necessity for some as it "allows" them to have shallow feelings for others. A slightly cynical comment from me, but I think you understand!
ReplyDeleteHi, Anonymous and thanks. Interesting you mention "verbal engineering" (which I like) as my intention was to write something symbolic but not too symbolic... perhaps I've got the mix right. Thanks again!
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