June 26

As the school year comes to a close, and I rejoin mainstream society, I feel the need to give in new, more creative, ways.  When I woke up today I wanted to make sure that I aimed my gift at a stranger.  I have yet to intentionally set out to give to a perfect stranger without expectation.  In reading other people’s reflections on giving, there seems to be a lot of this kind of gifting going on.  I see the benefit in giving to a stranger, but for some reason this type of giving has eluded me to this point.  I suppose that makes today’s gift slightly more intentional than it has been—I was curious to experience this side of the giving.

I needed to go to the mall this afternoon, well needed might be a strong word, but I felt it necessary that I make some purchases for my upcoming stint as a full-time grad student.  I landed at the mall during peak parking hours and happened across a spot that was mere steps from the doors.  It may seem superficial to view a parking space as a bit of a holy grail but it was SO close to the doors.  I saw the person behind me eying that perfect spot and my gift was to drive past it and park on the other side of the lot so that he could have that much coveted parking location.  The surprise on his face could be seen through the two panes of glass and the vehicles we were encased in.  It felt good to give him this gift of parking.

June 27

Now that I am nearly done school and in-between grad school classes, I have a sense of freedom that feels incredibly rare.  The benefactor of today’s gift was, again, Andrew.  We indulged in a morning of watching FIFA World Cup coverage—no pressure to organize our week, no expectations to get up and get moving; just a morning on the couch cheering for our favourite teams.  It felt so indulgent to just ignore the world outside and take in the game in our pajamas.  It might not seem like a gift to many, but might I remind you that being in a relationship with a full-time teacher, part-time graduate student, fully engaged perfectionist is likely to be a fairly unenjoyable way to live within a relationship!

Read about Rachel’s previous challenge days:

• Days 20–25
• Days 15–19
• Days 13–14
• Days 10, 11, & 12
• Days 8 & 9
• Day 7
• Days 5 & 6
• Day 4
• Days 2 & 3
• Day 1

Read about why Rachel started the 29 Day Challenge.

Related posts:

1. 29 Days of Giving: Days 10–12
2. 29 Days of Giving Challenge: Day One
3. 29 Days of Giving: Days 5 & 6