Dec
11
And here is my gift to you, day #2 of Gift Giving Week!
What Doesn’t Last?
What do you give your child (or anyone for that matter) at Christmas or Hanukkah that lasts? I have a few things given to me when I was a kid. That means they have lasted 40+ years already. I don’t give most of them another 40 though. So, 80 years maybe? Maybe more if I hand it down and one of my kids care about it and keep it. Some gifts are lucky to get taken off the living room coffee table after the presents are opened. They are played with during the time right after the opening of the presents but they are left behind when the presents are taken to the receiver’s room for safe keeping. Most gifts last a bit longer, but not nearly 80 years.
What does last?
Your love lasts. That is what they will take with them and keep a lot longer than whatever present you give. So, if you are prickly with your love, an untouchable, unfriendly sort, then you aren’t giving much love. If you are an impenetrable wall that hides behind your strength, you aren’t giving much love. If you are a snake, intent on deceiving, then you aren’t giving any love. And your child isn’t receiving any either.
Just remember, when you give a gift, it isn’t really the material gift that will last, it’s the love in the giving that will.
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Drawing by Marty Coleman, who got a lot of love growing up.
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Christmas Trivia of the Day
The song, ‘I saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus’ was written by a 12 year old.
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Dec
10
This is my gift to you – a week of notes on Gift Giving. Aren’t you happy?
Trauma Giving
It’s so simple it only needs one sentence. Don’t be a stingy jerk at Christmas or Hannukah. Ok, maybe a few more sentences. That doesn’t mean you give a lot. It means what you give you give willingly, with joy and enthusiasm. If you complain about the cost of something, especially to the person you are giving it to, then DON’T FREAKING BUY IT in the first place! If you complain about how hard it was to find something, how they better enjoy it, how you hope they appreciate all the terrible trauma you went to to get it…then you are ruining the gift giving. Just shut up and give it to them with a smile. You can tell them all about the near death experience of your Christmas shopping in your memoirs or when you are in couples counseling, but don’t do it Christmas morning.
Gracious Giving
The attitude of gracious gift giving is what your loved ones will remember and learn from, not the gift itself (unless you give them an encyclopedia, then they will probably learn from the gift as well). Of course, to get to gracious giving you might want to stay within your means and give gifts you enjoyed getting, finding, making, buying, discovering for that particular person. Just a thought.
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Drawing and quote by Marty Coleman, who never drew a violin before (that he can remember).
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Interesting Gift Giving fact of the day
People with longer last names give more gifts at Christmas
(source: The Goods – the blog of uncommon goods)
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Jun
11
>
It’s pretty clear, we all have power. And we all have the sovereign right to use it as we wish.
Some will use it to manipulate and coerce. They might rationalize that into something akin to ‘help’ for others, but it is not.
Some will use it to destroy. They might rationalize that into something akin to ‘ridding the world of bad things’, but it is not.
Some will use it to dominate. They might rationalize that into something akin to ‘I only control things for good’ but it is not.
No matter how much power you have, the most fulfilling and ethically sustainable use of it is still the same. Do good for others. If that is your definition you will always be powerful.
Drawing and commentary by Marty Coleman of The Napkin Dad Daily
Quote by Brooke Astor, 1902-2007, American philanthropist. Astor lived to the age of 105! She was married 3 times, her last being to Vincent Astor, the son of the doomed Titanic passenger, John Jacob Astor IV. Her life’s motto was “Money is like manure; it’s not worth a thing unless it’s spread around.”
Sep
27
>
How odd that two qualities that are admired can lead to ruin. Why is that?
What do they do in excess that makes the giver fall?
Candor is a type of honesty. Too much of that and people rebel against it. People say they like honesty, but what they don’t say is they only like so much of it. Too much can give the people a feeling of getting too close, too familiar.
Generosity is a great thing, but too much of it can make the receiver suspicious, make the community suspicious. It can give the community a feeling of getting too close, too familiar.
Contempt arises, accusations ensue and a downfall begins. Is the giver to blame? Yes, in part. He or she may not have bad motives, may not be doing ‘bad’ things. But they aren’t being discerning, they aren’t being ‘proper’ in their display of both qualities. The results certainly aren’t what they expect, but they could have been expected.
Drawing by Marty Coleman, the Napkin Dad
Check out my work and merchandise at
http://www.martycoleman.com
and
http://napkindad.blogspot.com
quote by Tacitus, 56AD-117AD, Roman Senator and Historian
