To define, a gesture is a simple act, a movement of part of the body, especially a hand or the head, to express an idea or meaning.

The gesture of bowing is to show respect. A gesture of thumbs up is to acknowledge a good job done. A gesture of a gift is to show appreciation for someone.

Gestures can be very small, but it’s the thought that counts.

I am learning more about the nuances of reciprocity, because as an idea, I think we can all agree that it makes for better neighbors/members of society when we see kindness and pay it forward. But what does that look like?

My Amish neighbors are always doing such nice things for me because as I’ve come to learn, that is their way. But coming from a place where it is considered special to extend kindness, I had to learn this way by observing, which is how I learn best. When I made the first harvest of raspberries at the Femdom Farm, I had way more than I needed. I thought that I could give some away to my Amish neighbors, but that the amount of berries collected would pale in comparison to the many kindnesses they have bestowed upon us, and I judged this small amount as measly and not enough.

The thing about gestures is that they are to express an idea or meaning, and it’s not about the size/quantity/cost of what is being given, but that the though occurred to give. It’s like saying to another, “I see and appreciate you”

I filled up a small container full of the most plump raspberries and a few sun-ripened pears from the trees in our orchard, and gave them to my Amish neighbors anyway. Their gratitude was disproportionate to the size of the gift, but it was the gesture of giving that warmed their hearts. This became a lesson that I will always remember.