Bon Journal

Gifts of music, food, and knowledge

I returned to Holland to find two gifts waiting for me. One was music - three CD's given by someone I've yet to meet. The other was a Buddhist book on spirituality from my friend in Thailand.

There was a third gift, from 31st December 2003, that I only just opened. It was a gift of food --- luxury snacks that I would otherwise never buy for myself.

Why is the gift of music special? I have three shelves of CD's too precious to give away or sell. I don't want anymore CD's, especially during this period of decluttering and moving house. I normally only listen to the radio, rarely buying CD's for myself these days. But I was grateful for Einaudi's La Scala Concert and Keith Jarrett's Melodies of the Night to fill the deadly silence of this unfinished house.

Why is the book so unique? I had written to my friend about the need for a greater understanding of Buddhism. She had given me a book years ago at a time when I needed it but I didn't understand it. I wasn't willing to understand it. After reading "When things fall apart" last September, I felt that I was finally open to fill the void within.

Why is the purple hamper of luxury snacks so special? My friends from Nottingham had given it to me as a Christmas present. At first, my reaction was negative - I don't normally eat salmon relish, truffles, or walnut pesto sauce. It was bulky and hard to carry. Diving into it now, I realise how wrong I was. It's an eye opener to try food I normally don't eat, especially to discover how much I like it.

My friend in London had copied two CD's of jazz fusion for me last week. I didn't ask for them, but he had remembered how much I enjoyed the first jazz mix he gave me.

It is wonderful to receive gifts, especially unexpected gifts that inspire and fill a void. The music fills the silence, the food fills the stomach, and the book fills my ignorance. All three kinds of gifts bring me knowledge.

5 February 2004 Thursday

Related entries:

Intangible gifts

Gift for the giving