I believe being able to receive graciously is also an art and a big practice. People in general and mostly people who are givers from the heart ( me included) have very hard time receiving gifts without feeling undeserving or embarrassed and even less powerful. It is important for both the giver and the receiver to go thorough the process in a way where there is a comfort level on both ends to an extent that both feel at peace, happy, deserving of the moment and attention given and received and acceptance. This applies not only to material gift-giving whether store-bought or hand-made, but also to other acts of kindness someone does for you. Personally, in this context, I love doing things for others, cooking being one of my ways to show love for others. And there are days when I'm physically too exhausted to carry on even the basic cooking, but when my husband asks me to sit down so he can cook and feed me, I find it very hard to receive his gift. Mostly, the reason being it makes me feel less in control and the weaker link. I think the kind of happiness you would like to feel in your heart as a giver , you have to allow others the same by receiving beautifully and without feeling awkward. Without a receiver, there is no giver!
On Nov 28, 2012 Rekha Garg wrote :