GiverReceiver

CONVENER(S): TedErnst

PARTICIPANTS: AshleyCooper, SusanKerr, JillPerkins

SUMMARY OF DISCUSSION, KEY POINTS, CONCLUSIONS, ACTIONS: Not sure I can summarize so here are a probably non-representative sample of ideas:

Boundries (physical, emotional, spiritual) based on fear, worry, etc can be managed through transparency and genuinness

"A gift, when it moves across a boundry either stops being a gift or abolishes the boundry." From <u>The Gift</u> by Lewis Hyde

Trust the receivers to find a way to also give.

When there is a demand, then that would not be a gift. An idea is that instead of giving in to the demand or not relating with the demanding person, good idea to create communication saying when I feel you are demanding, it makes me not want to give. Let's talk about what your needs really are and how we might work together to help you meet them.

Have patience and trust in the divine timing. Even though I think we might really, really need 1000 shovels right now, it might not yet be the right time. That doesn't invalidate my action to create the gift.

Idealism can also be a gift.

The gift must always move. When it gets stuck, it's no longer a gift. Giving of consumables is easy to see this way, but can also be a giving energy that then gets replicated when receiver turns giver.

Men Against Violence is an organization working on issues similar to what we talked about in this session. (Ted, look them up)

Intangible gifts seem easier to create an equal relationship between giver than receiver. Tangibles seem more complicated.

We can trust the flow of giving energy to allow receivers to not become dependent and continue to participate in cycle of giving.

We can learn to honor the resources that each on brings (this means receivers that are asking for more tangible things can be reminded of their own intangile gifts and how those might be used to manifest the tangibles).

Authenticity with our humanity melts barriers.

Please feel free to complete these thoughts if you were in the conversation or jump in if you weren't!