Marcia sent me an email this morning thanking me for my blog and giving me some of her personal insights into my latest Goddess. As I read her three or four sentences I felt that Marcia had given me a gift with her words.
I’m reading Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer.
And in it she writes about a gift, not as something we get for free, but as something that creates a bond between two people. Something that comes with responsibility to share the gift or give it back at some point. This idea comes from Kimmerer’s Native American heritage where gifts were not about ownership, but reciprocity. So in thinking about the gifts that the earth gives to us, it’s not that we get to keep them, but that we get to use them, then give back to the earth.
If we cut down a tree we then plant another, giving back to the giver, the earth.
This is the thinking that came to me as I read Marcia’s email.
With my blog, I feel like I’m sending small gifts to anyone who reads it or see the images I create. Then when someone writes to me and tells me their story or thanks me, I feel like they’ve given the gift back to me.
And it does create a bond between me and that person.
And gifts come to me in other ways too. Sometimes in fabric, or doilies, or hankies.
Then I take those gifts and create something new from them and put them back out into the world. And that becomes my gift.
So now I see my blog and art as a way of giving and receiving in a constant flow of exchange of connection and community. It’s a heart thing. And you don’t have to buy one of my pieces to be a part of this flow, this community. You just have to give something back.
Maria,
You have such a beautiful way of interpreting life to us, your art work, your words and photos, add so much to the lies of so many. Thank you for your generosity. I enjoy your gifts everyday.
Another Marcia
Thank you Marcia. For your gift this morning.
YES! YES! Dear Maria, I feel as tho I’ve been a given a beautiful gift every time I open your blog and catch up on all the touching photographs and wise words that you have written!! Annie
Thank you Annie for your gifts with each of your comments.
This is so beautiful Maria. I have that same book on my kindle. I haven’t had a chance to read it yet. Thank you for sharing parts of it with us. I really love what you have to say about building a community of gift sharing around the blogs. I really felt your heart in this. Lovely.
I know you’ll love the book once you start reading it Janet. Kimmerer is a beautiful writer as well as having so many insights into our natural world.
Oh wow, I’m about to go pick up that very book at the library today.
It’s fascinating what you say about your projects, it was such an uplifting thing for me when I saw you using fabric I sent you in a couple of projects. It really felt like a rare gift to see them be reborn through your creativity.
Well agian, Sue, thank you so much for them. They’ve help make my work possible.
I’ve had that book on my “to read” list for some time. You just moved it up the list.
Great photo too. This would make a great calendar page or post card…