True Sharing

During childhood, my brother and I would accompany our father on visits to homes during Zatras, Feasts or other special occasions. No sooner the plate, of sweets and spicy eats, was placed before us; our father would urge us to eat. We would feel self-conscious as he loudly kept saying, ‘go ahead, have it!’

After one such embarrassing evening, I asked him why he insisted that we polish off the plate instead of well mannered pecks at the offerings. He confided that being miserly in eating would send wrong signals to the hosts. He shared an invaluable insight: sharing is not just about gifting what we have... sharing is also about receiving with love!

Over the years, I see great happiness in the uninhibited receiving of somebody else’s gifts. For instance, when we visit an old age home or an orphanage rather than only sing our songs, we listen to their tunes, as well. Instead of only giving them our delicacies, we share the meal with them. Instead of giving, we choose to receive from them.

So often, so many of us share our riches with others. But love is about allowing others to share their treasures with us. While giving is good, it is greater to receive with dignity. When sharing is one sided, it is benevolence. But when sharing is a mutually two-way traffic, then it is beyond generosity and can be termed as pure love!

Gifting what we have is benevolent giving
Acceptance of other’s gifts is true sharing!

- Pravin K. Sabnis

Goa, India