“When we give cheerfully and accept gratefully, everyone is blessed.” — Maya Angelou
Taking off on this world tour, as I have begun to call it, has me thinking and questioning a lot of things. One such thing is whether it is appropriate to ask for or accept gifts for my travel. Being the southerner I am, gift-giving is definitely a staple in my life. But where do you draw the line on when to accept gifts? Or do you at all?
I am always appreciative of any gift I receive and never take the kind hearts of those close to me for granted. My friend circle, especially my inner circle, is always gift-giving. I can put on any invite “no gifts” and there will be no less than 5 gifts brought. It is just the nature of the kind souls I have surrounded myself with. This brings me to my travel.
I have been asked multiple times what I need for the trip. I am not sure just how to answer this for most of those that have asked. Yes, I have built an Amazon wishlist (for my family initially) and yes, I know what all I need to make this adventure a success. However, this does not mean I know how to say “yes, this is what I need and you are welcome to help me out.”
The issue I believe is coming from one major fact. I am taking a trip of a lifetime. One, that so many people would never have the opportunity to take. Doing this completely on my own without assistance is the plan. Why would anyone make this giant leap and then be selfish enough to ask people to help them fund it? This is something I have been struggling with the last couple of weeks.
One of my dear friends gave me this piece of advice, “Accept that people want to help you, hold the gifts dear to your heart on your travels, and appreciate people want to be part of this adventure with you.” While I am still not entirely sure just how to swim these particular waters, I am going to just accept it best I can. I linked above to my wishlist because I have been asked, I will accept any assistance gratefully, and I will in return share this adventure with those who mean the most to me.