Surprise...this is for you.

Now that 100 Days of Giving is available as an e-book you can purchase it for $3.99 at Smashwords: 100 Days of Giving e-book at Smashwords or for your Kindle at 100 Days of Giving e-book at Amazon and get all of the daily experiences, journaling exercises and stories.

Each day of the 100 Days of Giving includes a daily reflection for you to consider. Today, I am going to give you another example of putting the words into action for you. I began the exercise of giving every day at a time when I could have used a little push to get underway; we often need that little extra encouragement, accountability, support...whatever you want to call it, so this time around I am giving to all of you a few questions to respond to, journal about or contemplate related to your individual daily giving experience. If the questions stir something in you - great, if they do not - great, write about that. The most important part is to do something...and as one of my favorite mentors Yoda said, "There is no try, only do." Each day in 100 Days of Giving offers you an opportunity to read about alternative giving options as well as some questions to consider...enjoy...

To read Day 33

Today's Giving Thought: "Simple acts and simple gifts can help the environment."

Day 33 - For your daily giving journal:

• What did you give today?
• What surprise did your gift hold?

Please feel free to write about your experience in the comments section, share with someone else, or keep to yourself...whatever works for you, just keep in mind that one of the most important part of giving is being open to receiving and the more you share with others, the more you will receive in return. As difficult as receiving may be for you, it is an essential part of giving, so challenge yourself and give receiving a try, or a "do...there is no try, only do."

Now that 100 Days of Giving is available as an e-book you can purchase it for $3.99 at Smashwords: 100 Days of Giving e-book at Smashwords and get all of the daily experiences, journaling exercises and stories.

To read Day 33 click on this link: Day 33

To read about all 100 days's giving experiences you can download the e-book in a variety of formats at: 100 Days of Giving at Smashwords
or through Amazon for your Kindle: 100 Days of Giving e-book at Amazon

And now available "From The Eye of The Hurricane" eBook a collection of short stories and poems that sets the stage for, and provides the back-story for "100 Days of Giving"

From The Eye of The Hurricane available at Smashwords
From The Eye of the Hurricane eBook for Kindle at Amazon

Day 33 ❦ Some gifts are just simply a surprise.

Day 33

The Gift: A wall hanging.

Earlier I mentioned that almost immediately after I started this exercise, people began responding in unusual ways that not only did I notice, but in ways that my friends and family began commenting on. Today was just such a day.

My college roommate Cheryl and her husband and their two daughters were visiting us in Minnesota. They had just been visiting relatives at a family reunion in North Dakota and stopped by on the long drive back to the east coast. I always enjoy spending time with them. The kind of friendship that I have with Cheryl is the kind that everyone should have. We can go for years without talking and when we do connect, it seems like we have spent everyday of our lives talking. The friendship is easy, fun and filled with admiration and respect for each other.

I have been looking forward to their arrival since I learned they were going to be passing through and was even more excited when I realized that they were going to be in town during the huge SPAM Jam that happens every now and then in Austin, Minnesota; home of Hormel Foods Company which makes SPAM right here in Austin. The festivities take place over several days and we are going to the carnival first today. There are rides, games and entertainment happening all over the park, the weather is a little hot but sunny and there are people everywhere. The girls are having a blast and I am enjoying watching my friends as they take in all that is SPAM, SPAM carving contests, SPAM eating contests and the SPAMettes performing SPAM songs from the amphitheater. Then, from nowhere a man walks up to me and gives me a beautiful 4x6 inch wall hanging. As he hands it to me he say, “I am giving this to you to give to someone else” and walks away.

I do not recognize the man and I am too stunned to run after him to ask his name, so I stand there and look at the wall hanging. It is a small framed drawing of a peaceful looking little girl with two angels looking over her. I had all kinds of things I was thinking about gifting today and yet this seemed too perfect an opportunity to pass up. So I went to the rides area and watched to find a Mom who looked a little frazzled and stressed. It did not take long to find her. I walked up to her and handed her the wall hanging and told her that I was instructed to give her that gift and then I turned and walked away. For the rest of the day I neither ran into the man from whom I had received the gift, nor the woman to whom I had passed it along. I did find myself laughing out loud several times in disbelief that I had been the person to whom the gift had been handed to pass along.

❦ Some gifts are just simply a surprise for both the giver and the receiver.