You give but little when you give of your
possessions.
It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.
-Kahlil Gibran
One of the much loved books of my childhood and
adult years is Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. I went through
several copies, thumbing through, weeping over, and treasuring
each worn page. I related to several of the main characters so
much that in reading that familiar story, I could almost envision
being there hidden in the background, watching the March family
as they grew up.
I could relate to so much of how they felt...
except their holidays, which were described a few times in the
book. As a child, I found the idea of receiving handkerchiefs as
a gift appalling. The March family focused on traditions and
small tokens of giving rather than the piles of presents I had
grown accustomed to greeting me each Christmas morning... it was
completely different than what I was exposed to by my family and
by society. I told myself 'in olden times, they didn't had malls
and better jobs' and comforted myself with the knowledge that
today, times are different.
Different' is an understatement. If you live in the
United States, you will notice how society treats Christmas and
the winter holidays. Gone are the days where the Yule log is
burned to celebrate the winter solstice. Instead, the
merchandising starts before the Halloween decorations are taken
down. The pressure to give material gifts gets to a point of
frenzy, where you frequently see people last minute shopping for
*anything* just so they can check the people off their list. The
concept of 'giving' becomes utterly lost in a sea of
commercialism... because not only are gifts expected, but there
is that sense of people judging you based on what you give. And
in losing that idea of 'giving'... we lost the most important
part for slaves, who spend much of their lives reveling in the
act of giving to others.
So what is the slave to do, as the holidays come
'round and she aches to express her love and gratitude to the
most important people in her life?
The practical answer is that it depends on the
slave's situation. Some have monies of their own and can shop for
the special something for everyone on her list. Some slaves will
be allotted a certain amount of money to purchase items for her
loved ones. Some will make homemade gifts and share them with
others. Some slaves are dealing with the concept that they have
given everything to another... what else is there left to
give?
Giving from the heart knows no boundaries.
A number of years ago, I struggled with the idea
that I had no independent money, nothing to give that wasn't
already his. I felt shame, and placed an enormous amount of
pressure on myself to find exactly the perfect items because I
wanted to please my owner, and my family so much. And I thought
back to that beloved book and the struggles they had to stretch a
dollar to buy something to give to their loved ones... and how,
despite the emptiness of their hands, their hearts were full. I
wondered if they captured something elusive that all the glitz
and ribbons surrounding the holidays is missing now, something
that I might be able to give as well.
Its easy to get sidetracked in the idea of a
'gift', instead of 'giving'. What you give someone else may often
not be easy to see, or wrapped in colourful ribbon... but it is
giving from the heart just as strongly. And the heart is a
bottomless fountain, which replenishes itself- so you never run
out of love, gratitude, kindness, compassion, or forgiveness.
There is always a way to give those emotions to others, if you
look for the opportunity to present itself.
If you can capture some of the holiday's warm
spirit, and carry it close to your heart for the whole year...
you will not only be giving something special to yourself, but to
those around you. And to those who want to give something to
their owner, and yet are distressed for feeling as if you have
nothing to give... these acts can fill you with love and life,
and those emotions colour everything you do in service to him.
Showing your gratitude... not just speaking the words, but living
them... is a wonderful way to bring joy into even the most
mundane of tasks. It is possible to please a man by being
compassionate or kind to others, if that is the kind of woman he
wishes to own.
And while these are not 'gifts', and should not be
mistaken for such... they are the expressions of what lies within
the heart. So give freely and often, and don't wait for a special
occasion to express how you feel.
I wish you a wonderful holiday and new year.
~Gabriel's slavegirl, kaylee
To do something, however small, to make others
happier and better,
is the highest ambition, the most elevating hope,
which can inspire a human being.
-John Lubbock
