Christmas has come and gone, but the Holiday cheer still lingers in the air. The spirit of giving (and receiving) is ALL around as late gifts are being gifted, kids play with new toys and teens rock their newly gifted clothes! And as much as there is to give, there is also much to receive. Now, we know most Holiday articles talk about gift-giving, but here at Keep it Vertical, we like to talk about the hard stuff and as the young lady I met at the LA Renegade craft fair said: “receiving is hard.” So, I bring to you “Take the Damn Gift! A Lesson on Receiving” written by Jhamana Creer.

I love working at events, I learn so much and my eyes are opened to parts of the world I never knew existed, new parks, new businesses and new opportunities. So, when LA Original asked me to work at the LA Renegade Craft fair, of course, I said “YES!” Who knew, I’d have a life-changing experience there. Outside of having my aura photo taken and being prayed for and receiving confirmation from a woman who said God wanted her to speak to me, I had a conversation with a stranger about the struggles of receiving.

I’ll call her Lovely, because – why not? Lovely walked up to the LA Original table at the craft fair and began to look through our variety of products. As I talked to her about the gift options on the table, the conversation drifted to the ring I was wearing. I told Lovely that I was given that ring by a customer at my job. I had told the customer how beautiful her ring was and she took it off and gave it to me. I told Lovely how hard that would have been for me back in the day, receiving. Especially from a stranger. So many thoughts of “what do they want from me?”, “I’m not a charity case”, “this will come back on me later” or just straight up “HELL NO” come with receiving things from others. Lovely then said, “you know what someone told me once? If you don’t let others give, you are stopping their blessings.” I wanted to scream because that was the SAME advice I was given that helped me become a better receiver.

If we know that to give is to receive, then why don’t we believe the opposite? That to receive is to give, give someone the chance to be blessed, give someone the happiness that comes with giving and giving someone the feeling of appreciation that comes with accepting what they have to give. I know how I feel when I give things away, I love it. I feel happy every time I give and I have to imagine that the gifter is JUST as happy as I am. When I’m giving something away, I have already seen my life without it and I really insist that the person takes it. I’m certain when I give that I want them to have it. And sometimes, I won’t let you tell me “no,” I know how it can be to have a tough receiver, lol. Don’t be a tough receiver. It is important to also know when to say “no”.

This is not a blog post telling you to take everything given to you or take advantage of someone’s kindness, but a lesson on how to receive the things that are genuinely gifted to you from friends, family and strangers. Receive gifts, gifts of love, gifts of friendship and don’t feel guilty about it! Take the DAMN gift and don’t let pride, independence, fantasy or other people make you feel bad about receiving. And as you receive, pass it forward and give to another.

Thank you for reading. Your time is appreciated. Please share to help others learn the gift of receiving!