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From My English Country Garden
From My English Country Garden
A letter
from Builder Michael
Once again,
it was Christmas! And, this Christmas, just like last Christmas, and
all the other Christmases before, was spent going mad trying to
decide what to buy for everyone else – and everyone else was going
crazy trying to decide what to buy for me! It's a funny life. But,
let's just stop for a moment and think.
Christmas is
the time of year for giving, and, only two weeks ago, whilst enjoying
my third generous whisky of the evening, the telephone rang. It was
a friend of mine's wife, and she was calling from their home in the
middle of Scotland. And, she desperately needed my help and advice.
Her problem
was her husband's Christmas present! What could she possibly
purchase for someone who had everything and more?
And, this
was the point. What is the point of buying something for someone who
has all that he wants and all that he needs? My friend's wife was
not in need of a shopping list, but in need of a reminder of the
meaning of giving.
Giving, I
explained, is a two way street. And, the pleasure, as I believe it,
is more in the giving than in the receiving.
And,
therefore, in order to create the maximum of pleasure for one's
partner, it is better to allow them to give – rather than receive.
And, this rule, by-the-way, can be applied to everyone else as well.
My friend's
wife was listening carefully, and her question, being a sensible one,
came as quite a
surprise.
If she were to allow her husband to have all the fun – what fun
would she have if all the fun was in the giving – and not in the
receiving?
Receiving, I
then told her, is just as much fun as giving, because, whilst
receiving, one is giving the person who has just given just as much
pleasure as receiving, if not even more!
My friend's
wife, I believe, was convinced. But, there was still one very small
problem. She still didn't know what to buy for her husband.
If giving is
twice as much fun as receiving, then, in order for her to have a nice
Christmas, she, too, would have to give. And, then, if she didn't
like the idea of receiving, then her husband (my old friend) would be
robbed of the pleasure of giving, and, if by receiving, one would be
giving great pleasure to the person who had just given, then she,
too, would want that as well!
And, so it
was. My friend's wife decided to continue the ritual of giving her
husband (my old friend) a pair of red socks and a shirt – and –
of course – and in advance – a list of all the very nice things
that would make her a very happy woman. After all, as she reminded
me, the fun is the giving – and, all she was doing was giving her
husband great happiness and the chance for lots and lots of great
Christmas fun!
See you next
time – Yours, Builder Michael!
.
