#165: A Gift of Oranges

Do you believe the old saying that it is better to give than to receive?

Although I do not enjoy the oppressive heat and humidity of Central Florida's summers, I'm here for the foreseeable future.

But I'm blessed to have mature orange and grapefruit trees in the back yard. While they last, fresh fruit is just a few steps away. Both the oranges and grapefruit are sweet and juicy and it is such a thrill each time I pick one.

Last night a friend invited me to dinner and I took a few oranges for one of our favorite servers. I warned her to be careful cutting them because they were full of juice. Soon I heard laughter and she came out with juice on her arms and part of her apron.

"I didn't listen to you," she said with a wide grin.

"Did you like it?" I asked.

"Like IT? IT? I've already eaten three of them! They were delicious."

I felt good for having shared some of the free bounty that graces the trees in the yard. She enjoyed the gift and my friend's smile showed that he, too, received pleasure from the server's reaction.

Isn't that what one of the true reasons for Christmas and year round is -- to make others feel better and to share the gifts we have been given?

It may not be fruit, but everyone has something special available to them, a skill maybe, that can be used to enhance another's life. What gift have you been blessed with that can be shared with someone else?