Give That The Other May Become

I am amazed at the special relationship between the orchids and the tree. The tree does not get anything,  in scientific sense, out of this relationship. On the other hand, orchids being epiphytes, need the trees to grow on. The orchid does not gets its nutrients from the tree and does not harm the tree in anyway. The orchid needs a place to anchor its roots and that is precisely what the tree provides. This kind of relationship is called commensalism, a kind of symbiotic relationship where just one species benefits, while the other is unaffected.

There is much that we, as human beings, can learn from this relationship.  Can we see ourselves giving without taking so others can become? In our material word, this seems like asking for the moon. l have spent so many years of my life working with charity to know that most often when we give it is more for "me" rather than for the "other". I try to look back at my own  "giving" experiences and I realize that in almost all instances, my "giving" was prompted more by the need to feel good about myself and less about seeing the other not just feel good at the instant of receiving but that he too may be enabled so he could also enjoy for himself the gift of being able to give.

Giving so others we give to may also be empowered to become givers maybe what is missing in our giving culture. Unlike the tree, we give to others in need, pat ourselves in the back and forget about it. We do it to ease our conscience so we don't live with the guilt of not  having done anything to help. We do not see giving as an act of binding ourselves to those we give to so together we could work at being able to stand beside each other at an equal plane. Surely if we do, like the orchid and the tree, we as the giver and the one we give too, would both look real beautiful.