A Gift
Whenever someone gives me a gift I always think, why this particular gift. No, I'm not looking a gift horse in the mouth, I just like to understand the motivation behind it. In most cases it obvious. The gift is something that the giver knows you like. Sometimes the gift is something the giver likes and wants to share with you. Other times it's practical, silly or the giver is just plain lazy or doesn't know you and the gift makes no sense.
My sister gave me a book for Christmas. Not a bad book, I enjoyed reading it but I am left scratching my head as to why she gave me this particular book. It is a motivational book of sorts but what the author is advocating I already try to practice. My sister knows this too.
The book "Chasing Daylight - How my forth coming death transformed my life" by Eugene O'Kelly is about a CEO of huge company that is given 3 months to live at the age of 53. He discovers that family and relationships are more important than the work he had dedicated his life to perfecting.
I know it wasn't a re-gift nor was it just a random purchase. She made a point to tell me she really wanted me to have it when I opened it. I guess I could just ask her but I don't want to sound unappreciative. I certainly don't want to get into a big discussion with her about work versus family, been there done that. It wasn't pretty conversation. So I guess I'll have to find some clever way to work into a conversation one day. Until then I'll just be wondering why. *sigh*
8 comments:
Hmmmmm.
Well, I'm glad you enjoyed reading it. Maybe that was the motive behind the gift - she knew you'd enjoy reading it. Maybe there is nothing more than that to it??
I think that was the first book my sister ever gave me in my life. You could be right but there seemed to be something in the way she said, "I really wanted you to have THIS book" that made me think there was a message in it for me.
It would be like the MSU giving you a book on the importance of owning a gun. Baffling *shrug*
You could say, "I really liked that book you gave me, did you get a chance to read it?"
That could open up the lines of communication...?
She told me she read it when she gave it to me. I know I should just ask, I guess I'm just chicken. *cluck* The whole can of worms thing and all :(
If she shared it with you after reading it herself, she found something in the book very useful to her. Perhaps she knows you have all the qualities in the book, and needs to find someone else to talk about the qualities with, and giving you the book puts the onus on you to bring up the subject. She is not asking for advise then.
Of course, I doubt all of this is done consciously.
I didn't think of it like that. Thanks, now I feel OBLIGATED to talk to her about it, oh dear.
It sounds like she's been doing a lot of thinking :)
Don't think too much about it - I'm sure if she had something to say she would have said it.
I'd be more inclined to think that she may be waiting for you to talk to her, David.
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