This past summer, with my whole family home, my sister wanted to start a writing club with both of us and our parents. My sister would always come up with prompts or topics for us all to write about, and one week she suggested writing about giving. Responding to that prompt, I wrote about a dilemma I was having at the time about writing letters to people and not getting any back. Liz shared with me some advice she had gotten from Mark when she had a similar dilemma a few years back. (I apologize if I am butchering your advice, Mark). On July 2, 2020, I wrote:
I told Liz that [about my dilemma] and she told me about when she was first writing to Mark and had the same dilemma. What I got from Liz was that Mark said something about how it doesn't matter if it is reciprocated. What matters is that you are sharing and giving. You never know the ripple effect that your giving/sharing will have.
The advice/inspiration I received from Liz from Mark really stuck with me. After reflecting at that time, I continued to send letters to my friends who don't normally send anything back. And I started an exchange with one of them!
Thank you Mark, for sharing about the ripple effect with Liz, so that I could receive the same advice that helped me with writing.
This is great advice!
ReplyDeleteI know, Anne, that you were born a giver. I see you give in many ways without even a consideration of reciprocity. Maybe it is more obvious when a letter is sent and a reply not received, and that is why you questioned that while you don't question it in other areas.
Thank you for making the world a better place with your kindness and writing.
Can't wait for some holiday writing club sessions!