Last night I had to go to the hospital (nothing major and I was fine, went home with painkillers and anti-inflammatories) and while I was waiting for the bus, to take me to another bus, to take me home, a taxi drove up next to the sidewalk and the driver wound down the window of the passenger seat. I waved my hand and said, "I’m okay, thanks. I’m taking the bus."

He replied, "I saw you at the hospital. I want to offer you a drive home. No charge.”

He totally made my day. He made my whole month.

Knowing nothing of me, or my thoughts this last couple of months, he came at the perfect time to generously take me home at the end of his shift. Drove me to the door and said, "No bus would take you here!”

I told him how happy his offer made me and we smiled and said goodbye. Wonderful taxi driver Shahed. How special are those gifts: A gift with no expectations, only a gift for giving’s sake. For making someone’s life a little better, easier, lighter and brighter. Because we, at that moment, can. These gifts, I hope, will multiply their power and be rendered to the giver many times over.

But apart from that, these gifts are what makes this planet, with all its inhabitants, such a remarkable place. When sharing of what we have, we create a world of love and care for one another. We are also sending a message not only to others, but maybe more importantly to ourselves, that we have more than enough and that we are happy to share our wealth (which I hope you understand is not only an economic version of wealth).

When sharing of what we have, we create a world of love and care for one another.

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In return, this will grant us a sense of there being enough of everything for our well being, and this will continue manifesting into an even greater, intangible but priceless wealth.

"When you help someone, you put flowers by the feet of consciousness." I heard this said once and wrote it down, though the source is unknown to me. Isn’t that a beautiful idea, though? That by offering our service to another person we are showing the whole universe our gratitude for everything it provides; and so it becomes an offering to the earth and everything it brings.

It does entail a certain trust. A trust in something that some days just doesn’t seem all that likely to even exist. And sometimes it seems that gifts like these are being abused instead of cherished, and it can leave us with a bitter taste in our mouths. However, I think these are just the right moments for having a little faith; that the right order of the universe will prove to return our favors in due time.

How does this work then, if we are not to be expecting anything in return?

Since a help or gift, given with no expectations but met with no gratitude can leave us depleted and empty, how can we still say that they have been given with no expectations? 

I think it’s the intention. The willingness to give. The feeling of joy to help and share of what we have, and the wonderful thought of being connected. That we are all creating a weave of people; and within the borders of our own close circles, we actually do extend out, crossing those borders to help each other and show how we are, in fact, all one.

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Frida Sjögren is a Sweden-based artist and jewelry maker. She is also a devoted yogi and currently studying the beautiful teachings and practice of ashtanga yoga as an apprentice at the Mysore program in Stockholm.