Gifting

A friend, Amy, posted a link to a really interesting article about the economy of gifts recently. After reading I started thinking about ways to make this sort of idea work. I spoke with Mel about this and she mentioned she'd been thinking about the idea of community sufficiency as opposed to self-sufficiency for awhile. It makes a lot of sense to me. We'd like to have something organised (as described in the article) but I also started thinking about ways in which I'm already involved in gifting. 


Mel and I don't seem to ever visit each other without something in hand - a jar of jam, something home grown or a piece of clothing, even something we saw while op-shopping which made us think of the other. It's a natural thing and it makes me happy. Seeing someone else get joy out of something you made, or wear a beautiful dress you no longer fit in to can be really uplifting. 


I also use freecycle quite a bit. I recently posted some items and when a lovely girl called Em came to collect a couch and laundry basket for her new home, I thought she looked a little familiar. Turned out she knows Mel and a half dozen of my friends! She brought a home grown rockmelon and an eggplant, and some of her hen's eggs. It reminded me of the days when you'd never think of visiting a friend empty handed.

These simple, small acts are the easy way to start the circle of giving. I'm a big believer in starting small. Next time you visit someone, take them a flower from your garden or a few slices of banana bread you cooked. It'll make you both smile.