How far I have come to give gifts freely, without expatiations. 

I was able to help a friend yesterday, by donating time to help her clean her home.  It was a small gift that I wanted to give without getting paid. 

I started to clean, and underestimated the time that it would take me to complete the task at hand, and what she needed done.

When I first met with her I said that this was my gift to her, and I would accept no money, or compensation for the work.  She was in a tight financial situation, and was a little overwhelmed at what was ahead of her, and the time and dust was choking her as well.

So I started, I had a commitment to be at another job in 3 hours, so I didn’t chat long, and got straight to work.  She came into the room that I was cleaning and commitment to me she had to take a swim, as her back was hurting and this was the only way that she could relieve the stress.  She said to me, “please don’t judge me and it’s not like I haven’t been working around here, I am in spasm, and just need to stretch.”  I didn’t say a word, nor was my brain or thought process working either, I just looked at the task at hand and said, “It’s ok, I know what needs to be done here, and I will start, you go take care of yourself.”

At that precise moment, I realized that I had done some growing.

I was not angry that I was inside looking out, I was not resentful of the labor I was doing freely, and I felt a sense of relief that for an hour or two, my friend could take care of herself, something she was not able to do before. 

Who am I to judge?  When I give a gift freely, I have no right to tell the person what they can or cannot do with it.  I have no right to place any conditions in any form on a “gift”.   I don’t have a right to preface it with anything, nor put expectations on the outcome.   Just to give freely, and have them “pay it forward” is truly a freeing process. 

I thank the Universe that I have come a little farther than yesterday on my journey into tomorrow.