Tonight, I was invited to go to an open house at Bowman’s Garden Center, by an old high school friend. I have no idea why she thought of me, but I am glad she did. Bowman’s is a kitschy little garden center on the outskirts of Olde Towne, Portsmouth with a load of charisma. The owners are gracious hosts who are very attentive. It was quite clear that they could have cared less if we bought anything at all – they had selected each item because they loved it.  We laughed and talked with our friends and ended up purchasing a  $30.00 soy-based candle that I can’t describe – part cedar-ish, part bath soap, part sweet perfume.

We started with nothing but an invitation. We came home with a new experience and a jewel that we had never known existed. That’s the beautiful thing about life:  there’s always something new. We just have to be willing to give AND receive.

I read a really fantastic article in today’s New York Times. A woman, diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, received an interesting RX: give a gift a day for 29 days and live a healthier life. She didn’t have to spend money. Some of her gifts were just time, or a phone call, or a nice note to someone who needed it. She wasn’t cured, but her medical scans showed that her disease had stopped progressing. It appears that when we step outside of ourselves, we give our lives greater meaning. Studies show that altruism can be an antidote to stress.

The woman highlighted in the article now has written a book and also started a website: 29gifts.org. It seems like a simple principle and a very timely one, considering that the holidays are right around the corner.