It's Better to Give Than to Receive

We just got home from a big visit to Nevada to see the snow and my husband’s relatives (not necessarily in that order, of course!)

I couldn’t risk leaving Dog with that hussy, Cameron, again, and since we had never taken Dog to the snow, we bundled him up in his bed in the car for the big adventure.


And what an adventure it was! Grandma lives in Nevada in a great neighborhood with majestic views,




Miles of great dog-walking trails, and, most exciting, a deck in her backyard that is the home to a little rabbit!




Oh, the smells you can smell!

Dog spent much of the time sniffing around the backyard, hoping for a glimpse of a bunny.


"Shhhhhhhh, be vewwwy, vewwwy quiet; I'm hunting wabbits.”

No luck. I guess Dog needs a little work on his Creative Visualization.

We all had a grand time, except possibly for Grandma who cheerfully endured a series of minor calamities as a result of our boisterous descent upon her lovely, serene life: My son threw up a pizza lunch Big-Time all over her Berber carpet; my husband accidentally shattered a glass-framed photo that was hanging over her shower; and, worst of all, Grandma suffered a terrible allergic reaction to Dog, despite her obvious affection for him.


I knew I had to blog about this trip, including Dog’s first snow,


But the experience seemed disjointed, as family holiday gatherings tend to be. I needed a unifying theme…

My husband suggested the always-popular holiday cliché “It’s Better to give than to receive.”

“For unlike people,” he said, “a dog is always willing to give rather than receive. Think about how much Dog gives us! He entertains us; he gives us love; he gives and gives.”

I pondered this idea for a moment, but quickly realized it was a romanticized version of Dog. “Yeah. He gives,” I said. “But, I think his world is a little more about receiving,” as I considered all the begging for chicken treats and walks.

Then the wise and beloved, itchy-eyed Grandma reconciled these conflicting notions of Dog with her insight:

“Dog just gives as a part of his nature. He gives unconditional love. Of course, he receives unconditionally, too!”

How true! That got me to thinking about the spirit of giving and receiving among humans—an especially sensitive subject this time of year.

How many hurt feelings, arguments and ego struggles emerge around the whole concept of giving and receiving?

Did I give enough? Did I give too much? Did I spend more money on one kid, sibling, parent than another, and, if I did, will they notice and be jealous? And what about acknowledgment? What if I send gifts and no one says Thank You? Or I give a gift and get a less-than-enthusiastic response? Is it because they don’t like the gift or because they don’t like me?

Receiving is just as fraught with problems: What does it mean when your husband gives you a vacuuming robot or your wife gives you an electric nose-hair trimmer? What if someone surprises you with a gift and you don’t have a reciprocal gift? And we all know people who have a hard time receiving, incapable of feeling like they deserve something nice.

Dog has none of these are issues. As part of his divine nature, giving, receiving, loving, being loved are all the same—natural actions and reactions that arise out of always living in the glory of the present.

Dog has nary a worry about paying too much attention to one member of the family. He snuggles and kisses who he wants when he wants. He makes us laugh because it’s fun to slide across the floor as he scurries after a tennis ball. He never questions the offer of a chicken treat or a squeaky toy or a tummy rub. He is an enthusiastic recipient of all treats.

How cool would it be if we could all give and receive naturally, unconditionally, joyfully with no ego or anxieties or expectations?

A Course in Miracles says,

“To give is to receive. Today we will attempt to offer peace to everyone, and see how quickly peace returns to us.”

Dog and I wish you a New Year filled with lots of Happy Giving and Receiving!