05/29/2026
Giving of ourselves
Chris Brazelton
What do baby clothes, seeds, zucchini, books, and casseroles have in common?
They are just a few of the many things that people give to one another when someone needs them or when we have a surplus. They are part of what is known as the gift economy.
We can look to nature to see how gifts are shared by humans as well as other inhabitants of the Earth. A plant grows berries. A bird eats the berries. The bird flies away and leaves the seeds of the berries in a new location, and new plants grow. We, too, are interdependent with the gifts nature has to offer us. We eat plants and animals. We drink the water and breathe the air. They ask nothing of us. If we are truly grateful for these gifts, we take care of them and take only our share, leaving the rest for others and to multiply.
Robin Wall Kimmerer, author of “Braiding Sweetgrass” and “The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World”, tells us that sharing what we have was the tradition of her Potawatomie culture and many other Indigenous people. The Earth and its bounty are given to us by the Creator. Goodwill and strong relationships are created and nurtured when the gifts are shared.
Our economy is based more on supply and demand. Goods, even those that come from nature, are treated as commodities to sell at the highest price the market will bear so that the seller can accumulate wealth. The more scarce we believe an item we want or need is, the higher the price we will pay for it. Those with the most control of resources are in a position to accumulate the greatest wealth.
To convince us to buy more than we need, commercials tell us, “Hurry, buy now! While supplies last!” They tell us to fear what our life would be like without their goods. We need this item or beauty product to feel better, more popular, safe. Once we close the transaction, the “relationship” with the seller is over.
How would we feel in community if we acknowledge our abundance, accept ourselves as we are, and feel safe? We already have some vestiges of the gift economy. When a friend or relative has a new baby, if our children have grown out of the baby clothes or other items, we often pass them along. Those who garden often share surplus vegetables, flowers, seeds and bulbs with our neighbors. Those tiny libraries that pop up on some curbs? Also, gifts. Leave what you have, take what you need. A friend is sick, injured, or grieving? We drop off a casserole to help them through.
The giving of gifts creates a more cohesive community, with friendships that are nurtured and far outlast any short-term transactional relationship.
We can create, one gift at a time, the kind of community we want to live in.
If you are interested in helping make Delano a more welcoming community for all who want to live, work, play, and pray here, contact the Delano United Diversity Task Force by email at [email protected].
