The Law of the Gift Returns

In week eight I receive a tremendous gift. I become sick. Some kind of cold and flu symptoms that have me in bed coughing and unable to speak except in hoarse whispers. As I struggle to the kitchen to get the morning crackers, my wife asks me to lie down and let her take care of me. Initially, my mind and heart rebels at the idea. This woman is sustaining every physical burden of our child, how can I allow her the physical burden of me as well? She assures me that she needs me well as soon as possible so I have to let her nurse me back to health.

My brother visits from Dallas this week as he is trying to get into graduate school in New York for acting. He has two tickets to a show a friend developed and invites me to go with him. Again, something in me rebels. When I was sick, my wife prepared our small apartment for my brother, cleaning, putting out candy dishes, and making our humble home comfortable. How can I leave her for an evening? Again, my wife simply tells me to go. Another gift that I can never repay. All the food and vitamin shopping, all the serving simply leads to more giving.

This must be the active conclusion the Pope has lived. By living a law of the gift, we perpetuate it to others. It is simple, yet unrealized our conscience so many times. It may not be what the person wants, thus preventing the giver from becoming a virtual doormat, but by simply making ourselves a gift to their needs, we find that gift given to others and returned ten-fold. As my wife enters the ninth week, I realize that I have learned an amazing amount from my child already.