Here is familiar rule to follow: “It is better to give than to receive”. But how do you know when to give? Do you wait until later or act right now?
In every instances there are opportunities to give from the heart. Sometimes you’d have to take the initiative and “be there” for the person/animal/plants/etc. And this is done so without second thought or ill-will. And most likely the recipient doesn’t ask for anything. You’d know and feel when is the right time to act on that nice rule.
For example, Maw wanted to cook two packages of “tinapa”, or a peculiar type of smoked fish outdoors. Earlier, we had bought $10 (or $5 for ten fish) from a short, smoking Filipino man who was selling in front of Valerio Bakery where Paw had bought some “pandisal” for our morning’s breakfast. I helped her carry and hook up the electric wok under the patio in the backyard.
After a few minutes of freezing winds, she had finished deep-frying/disinfecting the smoked fish. I noticed that she had enough strength to bend over and unplug her electronic appliance. Knowing that she was still limping from her bout of gout on her right foot, I hurriedly gathered the cooked and cooking items to bring indoors, just as she hobbled into the warmth indoors.
This sort of universal “friend-ship” is supposed to be what “love” is all about — providing support when necessary. Sometimes you won’t hear a word of thanks from certain parasites/leaches. You’d feel if they are nice enough to acknowledge your effort. If not, avoid them. Somehow gratitude is later reciprocated in the form of lunch. And that, my friends, is thanks enough.
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