The Newsy Neighbour Magazine
December Issue #110
By Darlis Collinge
“A wonderful gift may not be wrapped
as you expect.” ~ Jonathan Lockwood Huie
For several years, my 21-year old daughter has been known
for always finding the perfect Christmas gifts. She refuses to accept a list
from anyone and instead, surprises us with gifts that truly represent who we
each are. Last year I received a set of beautiful hand-made candle holders from
the UK that have purple butterflies (I happen to burn candles in my office
every day and anyone who knows me even a little, likely knows of my absolute
love of butterflies and anything purple!)
As the years have gone by, I’ve become less interested in
giving or receiving anything that fell into the ‘more stuff’ category or that
needed dusting. Inspired by my daughter, I decided to start giving meaningful
gifts rather than ‘presents’ at Christmas. This required me to really pay
attention to what was important to the people closest to me, to what they were
experiencing and to what they truly needed versus wanted. I have gifted my time
to do document design work for family (gift of support), made pre-made meals
for friends to have in their freezer (gift of good health) and certificates to
a movie (gift of fun).
This year as I was thinking about what to gift those close
to me, I was reminded of something that I gave a friend last January. It was
the first year that he had selected a Word-of-the-Year to guide his actions and
decisions and he selected ‘bamboo’ for his inspiration. I gave him a bamboo
vase so he could write down all his celebrations through the year and put them
in the vase, and then at the end of the year he could be inspired by all that
he had experienced.
Why did he select this for his word? He was fascinated by
the fact that you nurture, water and care for a new bamboo plant for four years
and not even a tiny shoot pokes through the ground. During that time, a strong
root system develops so it can support the bamboo plant. And then… it appears
above ground and in just 6 short weeks, the bamboo plant is 90 feet tall!!! The
message is to have Patience and Faith
in life, knowing that while you may not be seeing results from your actions, a
strong foundation is being created so do not be discouraged, but keep going.
The bamboo has many other lessons to teach us as well. For
instance, while the bamboo looks weak, it is sometimes the only plant still
standing after a storm. This teaches us that size is only a Perception, so do not underestimate
yourself or others. Stand tall and believe in yourself.
In life, we all face times of challenge and here again, the
bamboo has a message to share. In the winter, the tops of the bamboo may almost
touch the ground as it bends under the weight of heavy snow. And then one day
it springs back and drops the snow as if to say, “I will not be defeated!” Know
that you are as strong as you need to be, you can spring back from adversity.
Bamboo is hollow and this reminds us that in order to
receive knowledge and wisdom, we must be open to what is new. This requires
that we have space to take it in and not be full of believing we already know
everything. Be Open to Possibilities
and do not hold onto preconceived notions.
In the Japanese culture, bamboo is connected to laughter as
the leaves in the wind sound like the forest is laughing. This reminds us to
smile, laugh and be Playful.
So this year, one of the gifts I will put under the
Christmas tree is a bamboo plant along with the many lessons it teaches us. It
is a gift that inspires and encourages, a gift of resilience and strength, a
gift with meaning.
Bamboo is one source of inspiration from nature and there
are many other sources around us well. If you prefer learning from others who
have faced and overcome difficulties, have meaningful messages to share or have
gained powerful insights from their life experiences, WomenTalk in Strathmore
is a gift you can give to yourself. Every month, women gather together and support
each other as two ‘Talkers’ tell their story. These are not professional speakers,
they are women like you and me with a story that inspires and connects us
together. This connection perhaps, is the greatest gift of all.
“I define connection as the energy
that exists between people when they feel seen, heard and valued; when they can
give and receive without judgement; and when they derive sustenance and
strength from the relationship." ~ Brené Brown
For more
information about the monthly WOMEN TALK meeting in Strathmore, including how
you may participate by attending or being a Talker, please visit www.WomenTalk.ca/Strathmore.
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