I thought I would check on everyone's progress on the 29day Gift Giving Challenge, and invite you all to post about your giving stories. Sharing will help us all with confirming our own feelings about giving as well as giving ideas on ideas.
I've been thinking about this challenge long and hard as i find it coming to an end. I'm feeling anxiety and concern about my gifts. Some just dont feel like enough, and I worry 29days just not being enough to make a difference, especially when i see so much hurt and anxiety through so many other people. Maybe its just do to holidays, but as i find more peace in my life, I worry about others who dont have it. This encourages me to want to give more. To share with people the needs and happiness we can all have if we give ourselves to others.
My gift today will be sharing some of my stories with you. I hope that you find them helpful, or it encourages you to want to share some of your stories with others. I can tell you that sharing my stories with my friends has encourage some of them to want to join this challenge, hopefully your telling of your stories will at least encourage one other person in your life.
Here are a couple of my stories:
Day 14 - Tuesday, December 15
Today I was scrambling to get things ready for Christmas. My health has been exceptionally poor lately, and I am struggling with trying to keep up with the holidays as well as work and all the craziness I bring on myself. In all of my struggles I decide to place my order at Costco for my Christmas cards. Being a finky designer that I am, I decide that I cant just go with the traditional stuff that Costco has to offer, so I make my own. I email the order in, and then check on it make sure that they received it and it meets my expectations before I take off to my classes for the day. I talk to a lady named Barb, who explains to me that this is not the format in which they print things and that my photos are cut off. I am very frustrated, because this is not what I wanted. I try and explain to her what I wanted from my pics and what I was doing with them. She pretty much explains that they can only do what is offered in the standard sizes, and that I can work with it, or find something else. I know I am wasting her time, but I refuse to accept this order with cut off pics, so I continue to discuss with her my options, in hopes that we can find something that works for me, together. I can tell she is getting very frustrated with me, and I am trying to be patient. But I really don’t want to go anywhere else, because I love how Costco prints my pics. So after some time, we get it figured out. She explains to me that she has already printed my original order, but that they somehow disappeared (yes, she is being nice.) and if I want to resubmit my order and then call back, she will personally look them over and make sure they are good before printing them all out. So I do just that.
On my way over to pick up my pictures, I think to myself. There has got to be a way for me to show my appreciation for her efforts. So after I decide to swing into a starbucks and pick up a gift card for her. Upon walking into Costco I realize that it is crazy busy in there. I wait 15 to 20 minutes to pick up my order, and was worried I wasn’t going to get to talk to Barb or give her the gift card. Luckily, she stepped up to the counter on the lady before me and was handing out orders for the cashier to ring up. So when I told her my name, she looked at me with recognition and smiled at me. I handed her the gift card and thanked her for all of her help in this order. She blushed. It was cute. :o) Made my day.
Day 16 – Thursday, December 17, 2009
Today was a funny gift. I’m not sure why I think it was so funny. But it just seemed funny looking back on It now. So I am out running all kinds of crazy errands trying to get ready for Christmas. Picking up last minute gifts, getting packages in the mail and getting ready for our Annual Christmas Party. While I was in Safeway picking up some much needed stuff (not really, but it felt like it. Lol.) I was in the check out. There were a couple of teenagers who were chatting and not paying any attention to the checker who was helping them. They were being typical teenagers, the checker was not very pleased with their behavior and was getting rather frustrated. I noticed most of this out of the corner of my eye as I was loading my stuff onto the belt. As I walked in front of him, he greeted me. I looked him in the eye and smiled a big huge smile. We stood their for a moment and stared at each other. He says, “wow, you are happy!” I say, “I am?”, he says “your sure smiling big.” I say, “well, I guess I am happy.” He says “well, that’s good to see. You must have all of your shopping done.” I say “nope, still working on it.” He says “well, you sure are in a good mood for someone who is not ready for christmas. You must have a secret.” I laugh a little chuckle. I say, “well, I am still working on it. But there is no reason to get worked up over it. What happens will happen.” He looks stunned. Then he says “well, not everyone feels that way.” I say, “yes, you are right.” I could tell his attitude about his day changed as of that point. I didn’t need to say anymore. I give him a big smile again. He returns and tells me to have a nice day with sincerity.
I hope the sharing of these stories will be an inspiration to you to want to join in this challenge of giving for 29 days.If you want to read more about it, check out www.29gifts.org they have all kinds of wonderful stories on their to help inspire you.
I am hoping that my giving challenge will not end with the 29 days and that I will be able to give every day for as long as I can remember to do so. It will be my goal, to keep it going in my heart. If you have days that seem like a struggle dont worry, dont fret, check out the 29 days website for information. Buy the book, and read it for inspiration. Remember it doesnt all have to be about money. :o)
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