Gifts for Others - Just Ask

Being Canadian, I'm bound to make hockey references. This blog will contain one of those references. Here it is:

"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take." - Wayne Gretzky.

What the heck am I talking about? If you want something, sometimes you just have to ask. I remember overhearing my friend say she wanted a particular mug that isn't available in stores any more and seems to be quite rare. I spent a couple months watching various sites hoping something would pop up. No such luck. As her birthday started to approach, I did't think I'd be able to find one of these mugs. I could have just let this gift idea go, but then what would I get her? If no one was listing one for sale, I'd have to find someone with this mug and see if they'd be willing to part with it. I found someone on a Facebook group who posted a picture of the mug approximately a year ago. Maybe this person wasn't as keen on it anymore, with a year gone by. Maybe they didn't even have it anymore. I wouldn't know unless I asked. So I did.

To my surprise, this person responded to my random inquiry. Unfortunately, she was not willing to part with her favorite mug. I thanked her for her quick response and, in a last ditch effort, stated why I wanted the mug - for my friend's surprise birthday gift. I may have also told her my friend's Facebook profile picture had a sloth in it, and I wasn't lying. Still, the woman I contacted wasn't willing to sell it to me. Fair enough. At least I tried. What came next surprised me. She was willing to post, on my behalf, in other Facebook groups, as well as her circle of friends, to find this mug. She volunteered to do this for me, a complete stranger. She even suggested she do it with her profile so my friend wouldn't see me posting on Facebook looking for this mug, cause that would've completely blown the surprise. Within hours she had someone willing to sell the mug. She created a Facebook Messenger group chat with me and the seller and we made arrangements. Victory!


Sloths and tea: a 'matcha' made in heaven. Yes, I just wrote that.

The mug arrived with plenty of time before my friend's birthday party. For me, it was a very fulfilling experience. I'm increasingly finding that our most altruistic endeavours are also our most rewarding. I went on a mission that did not benefit me, but rather provided some happiness to someone else. It wasn't the most expensive gift. It wasn't the newest trend on the market. It was a second hand mug, albeit one quite hard to find. I won't lie and say I didn't think of what I could have gotten for it had I tried to resell it, but again, this wasn't for me. This was a pure and simple act of friendship. My reward is her loving her new mug.

Giving of ourselves, I believe, is good for us, whether it be in the form of monetary donations, time or efforts. Good for the sake of good. We shouldn't be looking at every interaction we take part in as a trade off to see what we can get back in return. I don't even like to reference Karma because truthfully I'm not looking for Karma to do me a solid. In this instance I already feel good and that's what counts.

Take the shot. Do good. You're capable of more than you know and others may just surprise you too.

Coco out.

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