A person of retirement age has much to give, “if” they would draw from their wealth of accumulated experience, skill and knowledge and find ways to put it to good use. I am about to relate to you something that happened, that has had a profound effect in my understanding on what joy there is in giving……

Eleven of my colleagues who had come from a rather poor back ground and I once went to a restaurant to order some tea. We sat at a table, and the one next to us sat two rather wealthy gentlemen. They had obviously booked for a large crowd and had ordered a finger buffet for this occasion. Sadly it was only the two of them that had arrived to enjoy this scrumptious spread that the two chefs of this restaurant had set before them.

Anyway these two had had their fill and left this huge feast that had been paid for mostly untouched. Now the chefs had lovingly taken much care into creating  this delight of a banquet and did not want to see it all go to waste. The next thing we find is them bustling around us, offering these platters to try. We were all staved so it was not too difficult in saying yes please!!!!!!

The joy on their faces was all to apparent as they watched us tuck in. They would keep offering us different dishes to try and when one of them brought me something different, I in gratitude thanked him. He looked at me and said the two words that have shaped my life, ” My Pleasure “. It was not the words so much as the shear joy on his face as he said them……. He had found the meaning of satisfaction.

** Christina Saunders **