29 Gifts

Have you heard about Cami Walker and her experiment with gift giving? Several years ago, Ms. Walker was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. When her emotions and spirits flagged, a holistic health practitioner suggested she give a gift a day for the next 29 days to friends, family, acquaintances, the women at the dry cleaners. Willing to try anything to help with her new diagnosis, Ms. Walker started the giving practice with a chocolate cake for her husband, letters to old friends, a phone call to someone in need. To her surprise she started to feel better. For sure, the multiple sclerosis didn't go away but remarkably Ms. Walker found herself in less pain, needing less medication, fewer trips to the ER. Science backs up this phenomena that giving, doing for others improves our well-being and spirit. Intrigued, I thought I would give it a try.

I am now in day three of my gift giving and very much enjoying it. When I start of feel worried or anxious about something in my life, I find myself thinking about who I might gift today or tomorrow and my worries ease. There is the nurse at E's school who made her feel so comfortable when she fell ill at school this fall, P at the Y who welcomes me in for my workout, the woman who prayed with us when dad was dying. Thich Nhat Han the Vietnamese Buddist monk has said that he wouldn't want his children to live in a world without suffering because its through our own loss and grief and disappointment that we are able to most deeply care for other human beings. Giving gifts awakens my gratitude for the love and sustenance I receive unbidden everyday.