What have you always wanted to know about your loved one but have never asked?
I like this question because the responses are always thoughtful, sometimes hilarious, and highlight the ways your loved ones are paying attention.
Here is one of my favorite answers:
While this dad has some answering to do, it is a sweet reminder that our loved ones are curious about us—they are paying attention.
This might be a controversial statement but I think sitting through your kids baseball game, or any baseball game for that matter, is a generous act. Less so when you take my parents approach which was to show up, sit on the bleachers, and read the New York Times.
One of my favorite quotes is from the French philosopher, Simone Weil:
Attention is the rarest and purest form of generosity.
Just to be clear, I do not study French philosophy in my spare time. I saw this quote on some notecards at the Green Store in Belfast, Maine while I was visiting my mother-in-law and it spoke to me.
As the holiday season approaches, just remember that attention is a relatively easy, inexpensive, and a generous gift to give.
Warmly,
becca