Gifts

harbour Dunedin – a perpetual gift 

This morning my daughter in law brought me a warm buckwheat pancake on a plate. Blueberry flavoured with yoghurt, some banana sliced lengthways (so much classier than the chunkier chopped banana I usually do) and drizzled with a little blueberry sauce for my aesthetic pleasure. I had it for my breakfast. She and my son and little daughter live in our downstairs flat, so I get to spend part of every day with them. Which I definitely see as a gift.

Every day gifts are there for the taking. I just need to watch out for them and pick them up (literally or figuratively) to hold close – or leave them unopened if I’m in a grump!

If I choose to, I can pass these gifts on to others – maybe in the form of poetry or photographs, or simply by repaying a kindness. Or I can choose to keep the gift to / for myself, cherishing the delight.

I don’t know whether applying for my Superannuation (pension) is a gift or not … sure, the Super payments will be a gift, no doubt about that; but as far as the application process goes, I am not so sure that’s a gift. A pain, yes, but a delight – not so much.

Nevertheless, this application is what lies before me today. I need to finish up the process I’ve already started online. I must not be a wimp and opt for a face to face appointment. I am possibly part of a new wave of Super Annuants who are au fail with the process of doing stuff online. Whether being part of a ‘new wave’ is a gift, could be counted a moot point.