Speaking of souvenirs, I recently returned from a conference with a number of international participants. It never ceases to amaze me how generous other people are – especially people from other countries. In addition to sharing their talents of singing, dancing, and laughter, the Koreans and Hawaiians showered us with little gifts. Of course there is the Hawaiian custom of honoring visitors with a lei and Jim and I each received a beautiful hand made yarn lei that will last more than a day. The Koreans also gave us fans, decorative candles, key chains, and beautiful bookmarks and little purses. I really do need to learn from their generosity.
There is a problem, however. As gracious as these gifts are, I can’t use them all. I think I’ve found a solution. I’ve put many of these colorful gifts into a basket and when visitors come to our home – especially young children – I invite them to choose something from the basket. It’s a way of passing on the gift and culture of other generous people.