Emotional Gift

Emotional Gift

Gifts  we always  give and take from dear and near  and also from friends circle , personal and professional, for  occasions like birthdays , anniversaries , graduation, housewarming function, promotion , arrival of a new member in a family , retirement , and so on and on …

This exchange of gifts started from the day  in my life , when I was in a position to earn on my own  and give away gifts to others  and went on for 40 years and continuing.  When my  younger sister  Vidya was studying in school final , she asked me to help her to write an article for her School magazine. At that time I guided her to write  on a  title – “ Emotional Gift “. Her happiness got doubled  when  the same was published in the school magazine.  Now my memory could not recall  what I wrote at that time . But the same topic came for a discussion last week   during an evening chat with my wife’s sister family.  Again I recalled the topic and wished to share , what is emotional gift to my understanding  from a  borrowed material from web.( Courtesy : Mr.Jack Levine )

Let’s remember that not all gifts are wrapped in shiny paper and decorated with ribbon and bows. There are many intangible gifts of the heart we can share with those who deserve special recognition and attention ... for who they are, what they do, and the important role they play in our lives.

Here’s an Emotional Gift Guide I hope will be meaningful   as suggested by   Mr.Jack Levine .

Jack Levine is director of the Tallahassee-based 4Generations Institute.

+ To yourself: respect, confidence, faith and fortitude.

+ To a family member: communication and understanding, even if there has been pain.

+ To a friend: a heartfelt and caring spirit.

+ To our natural world, animal and plant life: protection and preservation.

+ To a good cause: generosity of time and treasure and ardent advocacy.

+ To a traveler: an open door of hospitality.

+ To our military forces, first responders and their loved ones: honor, support and appreciation.

+ To the ill and hurting: conscientious concern and healing comfort.

+ To the hungry and homeless: compassion, emergency services and creative community solutions.

+ To the abused, neglected and abandoned: representation, security and hope.

+ To someone with a special challenge: recognition, acceptance and opportunities to succeed.

+ To the addicted and troubled: a positive path to recovery.

+ To an infant and toddler: attention, attachment and safety.

+ To a child or teen: patience, guidance and a positive example.

+ To a parent in need: a helping hand and guidance.

+ To an elder: reverence, gratitude and dignified care.

+ To a customer or client: excellent service and lasting value.

+ To everyone you see, friends and strangers alike: a warm smile, acts of kindness and positive energy.

+ To people of every age: unconditional love.

+ To all the peoples of the world: justice and peace.

After giving a full reading we may feel that we are doing most of the act . Still we may feel to give material gift to the satisfaction of the receiver. But the receiver may be more happy on emotional gifts rather than the material gift , which has a price tag on it ( though we remove the price tag ) . We always think  that what others will  feel  if we do not gift for an occasion which may  be true in the case of people more attached to material. But we have to make them to understand , how strong is the Emotional Gift , which last in their memory forever  and the material gift will be forgotten very soon.



My wife Suganthi in the centre with GOS staff and kids



My wife is working as a teacher in a school for physically handicapped kids up to 5^th standard in Anna Nagar , a unit of Guild Of Service ( Central ) .  Whenever I visit them , they feel very happy to associate with me  in that small time and shower their love and affection towards me. They never expect any material gift and their longing is only our frequent visit.  I am emotionally linked to them and my presence is an emotional gift to them.



Guild of Service School for the Handicapped -kids



Some of my subordinates planned for a picnic and they wished me to join with them I felt I could give them an emotional gift by accepting their request and had been with my workmen for such outings whenever they plan. Their joy knew no bounds  in all the trips and I enjoyed my best time out of office with them. They are a better planner than mine !



Picinc to Auroville , Pondicherry with my workmen



My MD , Mr.Anand Sundaresan wishing me for a Happy retirement



On my retirement day in December 2010 , I was given a warm send off by all of my colleague and all well wishers  from top management gave a very nice speech touched me emotionally. My colleagues gave me gifts  to show their love and affection. In particular , my teammate Gopinath  read a poetic citation on me which touched me and I felt that is an emotional gift to me. He is too good  in writing tamil poems and moved me emotionally. My Managing Director’s speech on  that occasion was recorded in his mobile by a good  colleague  of mine , Srenivasan ,  and  he surprised me by passing the same by e-mail on the same night. This is also an emotional gift to me. I never expected that I will get a life time audio record of that nice evening event.




Gopinath,Chandrasekaran in left  and Venkataramanan , Srenivasan in right

 

Gopinath reading a poetic citation on my retirement



 I too once missed my emotional gift to one of my workmen, many years ago, when he was in his death bed and communicated his wish to see me  for a last time , through another friend . In those days our present day mobile was not there and also the transport  to quickly to reach the TB hospital where he was admitted . The exact moment of me entering the ward and the entrance of the room where he was in a bed , he passed away just few seconds before I leaped in. This was a lesson for me as I missed my emotional gift of seeing him when he wished to see me before his soul parted his body. The scene is still in my memory  . I share this real experience to  many  and tell them to attend whenever someone want to see them without a second thought , and in particular old people.

Next let us look into our parent’s expectation for their  wedding  anniversaries or birthdays , if they could remember correctly! Our old parents never expect material gifts and they only wish their children’s presence for any  family functions or their own anniversaries. The immense pleasure you can see in their faces when you visit them on such occasions and festival times. Of course childrens living apart at long distances cannot make it every time but they can share their emotion by talking to them from a distant land . My experiences with my parents are many and I am blessed to be with them till their last breath . 

Miss not any such occasion when there is an opportunity and apt time is there for you to show your emotional gift of  love and affection to your dear and near without bothering  whether you carry a  material gift for them . They will love you forever.

Chant Hare Krishna and be Happy .