06/03/2026
A Time of Gifts - this lyrical book shares a truth. In this young manās travels across Europe in 1933 with almost no money as Naziās were coming to power - he is part of threatening events, & still finds tiny gifts of kindness on his way.
Travel helps us see gifts in everything around us, one reason why we love it - yet we can find gifts anywhere, even in places we know well.
Itās how we look at the world in each moment that allows them to come to us.
Our mind loves to have opinions.
To say yes to this and no to that.
Yet what if we didnātā¦.
What if we stayed open to experiencing, to seeing and connecting with it all?
If we didnāt exclude.
Just allowed.
Still make choices, yet do this without closing our heart or mind to the ones we donāt pick.
Have less fixed opinions.
Then every moment, every encounter can become a potential gift.
In this time of much division in the world itās so easy to limit what we are open to.
When we make a decision and say only this is right and another is wrong, then our fears, our narrow mind is winning.
And we miss gifts waiting for us.
Gifts can come in many and often unexpected ways.
They arenāt only lucky or beautiful - even weird, unsettling, uncomfortable and not what we call beautiful things can be gifts, if we stay open and just observe without judgement.
We can look either way at an insect that could bite us, a sudden noise, wild weather, someone elseās different option, not getting what we want, even world chaos - so try pausing, calm fears, and just observe with an open heart and mind.
Try putting away your phone more often, and youāll see moreā¦
Exchange a smile with a stranger, enjoy a flower, people talking, noisy traffic, or even an insect.
When we stay open to all that comes our way - gifts can come in every moment that surprise us.
Then every moment, even in these intense times, can become a time of gifts.
Cassandra Punita x
unexpectedgifts
