I am going to be a houseguest. I am going to be a houseguest in another state. It makes sense to take a gift thanking the hosts for their hospitality. So, I am trying to decide what to give that is representative of my home state. I would also like for it to be something that my hosts would like or enjoy. This gift search has got me to thinking.
How many times in our day do we stop and think about what other people might want or like? How often do we consider how our behavior is representative of who we are? It seems that man of us go through our days without thinking. We just act. The person driving the car in front of us drives too slowly, so we through up our hands and huff and puff. This does not add to anyone’s day. We are aggravated by a situation so we rant and rave to a friend on the phone, regardless of who may be able to overhear us. Our angry words have affected not only us, the person we are speaking to, but those venomous words may affect anyone else who might overhear. We don’t think about what other people might think of what we do or say. We don’t think about how we can give them a gift by offering our best selves in all situations. We usually, in our human condition, are thinking more about ourselves than the effect we might have on others.
Instead of just offering a physical gift to our hosts, perhaps we should see everyone we meet as a host. They are allowing us to be in their presence. While we are with them, we can offer the gift of our best selves. The gift I took with me was Red Rocker Candy. It is made near my home, and it is nationally known. It was something sweet. It was not something that they had to keep forever (in case they were overwhelmed with knick-knacks). It was something that I enjoy. I shared myself and tried to put my hosts first. How we live is our gift to those we encounter in our lives.
Life From Where I Stand 