Sharing the Bounty:

Let Us Aim to Give Like the Apple Tree

🍎 This year, our apple tree went wild. Branches heavy with fruit, it didn’t ask who we were or what we would do with it. It just gave.

Friends came over and picked some. Neighbors turned them into delicious pies. The deer helped themselves to their fill—gracefully, gratefully. We made pickles, and jars were passed around.

And then the bulk of it—the real blessing—was shared with Blanchet House, a place where giving is a daily practice. They serve every person who comes to their doors with dignity and without judgment. Food, clothing, community, and hope—without strings attached.

As I dropped off crates full of organic green apples, I thought of the verse from the Bhagavad Gita.

Just One Verse

"Datavyam iti yad dānam dīyate’nupakāriṇe deśe kāle ca pātre ca tad dānaṁ sāttvikaṁ smṛtam"

"That gift which is given without expectation, at the proper place and time, to a worthy recipient—such charity is considered Sattvic (pure)."

— Bhagavad Gita 17.20

We often talk about giving as a duty or a virtue. But nature teaches us something gentler: true giving is abundance shared without calculation. The apple tree never hoards. It doesn’t check résumés. It simply gives.

Let us learn from that. Let our giving be timely, joyful, and free from expectation. Let us be the tree.

🌿 Good Trouble Lives On!

We're commemorating the anniversary of Congressman John Lewis’s passing with a national day of nonviolent action in the US. In his spirit, let’s remember that donation is one of the best kinds of Good Trouble—especially today, as the social safety net is being pulled apart. Supporting our fellow humans and animals with food, shelter, and dignity isn’t charity—it’s justice in motion.

Just One Tree. Just One Verse. Just One Act of Generosity.

🙏🏽

Suresh Srinivas