Rings and jewels are not gifts, but apologies for gifts. The only gift is a portion of thyself.
–Ralph Waldo Emerson
In the late 1940s
David Dunn wrote an article
The reader response was overwhelming
So he expanded the idea into a book—
Try Giving Yourself Away
A chronicle of what started as a hobby
And eventually became
His way of life
His method is simple:
“Stop as you rush through life
Look for all the friendly, thoughtful, courteous things
You can do
All the little human needs
You can fill
Listen to people and learn
Of their hopes and their problems
So that you will be able to contribute
In little ways to their success and happiness”
One of his favorite actions:
To write short notes of specific thanks
To friends and strangers
Restaurant chefs and shop owners
Dunn keeps it simple
It doesn’t have to be a big production
Little amounts of time add up
Two minutes here, five minutes there
He believes that there are a hundred ways to give
And they all start from the heart
So he advises to act immediately on those warm-hearted impulses
When it comes to giving to another
If this all sounds familiar to you
Perhaps it’s because you know Fatima Rhodes
Who gives herself away
As easily as she breathes
One example: When I announced
A gathering to discuss Mev’s The Struggle is One
Fatima ordered three copies from Amazon
To give to me
To pass on to those I might know
Who would want to be part of the discussion
A second example: She gave me
A black Moleskine and set of pens
A third example: Seeing her at the sink
Washing the dishes one potluck after another
Fatima gives with such humaine chaleur
And kindness, courtesy and consideration
I leave you with these words of David Dunn
Which echo Tolstoy’s story of “The Emperor’s Three Questions”—
“Any person of sincerity and good will
Who will persevere in giving himself away more generously
Than he has ever thought of doing up to this minute
Will enjoy a much happier life from now on”
