The Only Time Is Now—And What You Choose to Do With It.
Our time is the greatest gift we have to give.
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Time and tide wait for no man.
—Geoffrey Chaucer
Like Chaucer's simple yet wise words, this storm-tattered 1930s garage stands resilient despite its timeworn appearance, mirroring our humanity.
Time is central to our lives and is marked and measured incessantly: Are we enduring its passage or living, sharing, and welcoming it?
In a sense, time is much more than an interval of measurement. It creates memories that honor life’s small joys. It is the most valuable intangible, yet here’s the irony—time can’t be bought or sold. Every major event, milestone, birthday, anniversary, birth, and funeral is marked and celebrated by the passing of time, impacting us in some way.
Time can be measured and appreciated —even managed. But in the end, we realize time is the essential unseen. It’s either ‘today’ or ‘not today’.
Its ephemeral nature makes it even more precious. We don’t know how much time we have here—another irony. Here’s your gift of life — you may have one year or 100 years, but you’ll never know, making ‘today’ the most important day.
Thankful For Time Together
I watched a beautiful story in a 60 Minutes interview with Tim Green a few years ago. His time is nearing an end as he battles Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. In his most poignant sentiment, Green stated,
“Life can never be long enough."
—Tim Green
In the interview, Tim Green said he has everything right now, despite his successful football career and failing physical health, because he has time to live with his family daily.
The story explains that Tim Green was adopted, so ‘everything’ to him means family. The Greens’ grown children live in the same neighborhood and eat dinner together five nights a week. Some people are lucky enough to spend even one holiday dinner with their grown children, let alone five nights a week.
When we’re young, we believe we have all the time in the world, so we often squander it. It’s not until we become older and begin reading thankful quotes, as I am doing now, that we realize the preciousness of time.
At the end of your life, you will never regret not having passed one more test, winning one more verdict or not closing one more deal. You will regret time not spent with a husband, a child, a friend, or a parent.
—Barbara Bush
Time With Loved Ones
My best advice is to spend time with your loved ones. Be stingy with time spent on meaningless things and generous with the time you give to those you love. That’s it—simple.
When my youngest daughter was little, she always had me kissing her boo-boos. I did it because, as every mother knows, it makes them feel better. What took me a long time to understand was why.
Kisses don’t have healing powers, or do they?
One day, my young daughter asked me to kiss her boo-boo. Pressed for time, I hurriedly obliged. She cried, telling me it wasn’t any good because my kiss had no love.
She was trying to tell me that I didn’t spend enough time with her. Because I absentmindedly kissed her pain away, it didn’t work. I didn’t pay enough attention to her at that moment. I didn’t spend enough time with her in her moment of pain; however minor it seemed wasn’t the point. My daughter wanted my time.
It’s the everyday, seemingly mundane, that becomes essential.
The classic lyrics of the song "Sunrise Sunset" from Fidler on the Roof" remind me of the push and pull of time when raising our children. It’s one of those bittersweet songs that brings every parent to tears.
Sunrise, sunset
Sunrise, sunsetIs this the little girl I carried?
Is this the little boy at play?
I don't remember growing older
When did they?When did she get to be a beauty?
When did he grow to be so tall?
Wasn't it yesterday that they were small?Sunrise, sunset
Sunrise, sunset
Swiftly flow the days
Seedlings turn overnight to sunflowers
Blossoming even as they gazeSunrise, sunset
Sunrise, sunset
Swiftly fly the years
One season following another
Laden with happiness and tears
One season following another
Laden with happiness and tearsSunrise, sunset
Sunrise, sunset
Giving The Gift of Time Supports Healthy Living
Time is important. The increasing pace and distance of our daily lives pulls us further away from time with each other. So how do we find the time to spend with each other?
No elaborate dinner is required. It can be as simple as sharing a pot of tea with some homemade treats. Tea is easy and very social. It’s the venue that allows us a brief time to share and connect.
The process of brewing and sharing tea embraces the momentary slowing of time. It’s a reason to take a break, relax, and slow down. To find our focus and appreciate the little things. It is as much about brewing and drinking tea as it is about sharing time with others.
One of the sweetest things my parents shared was a pot of tea every night after dinner. It was their time to talk and reconnect after a day apart. Pictured is the Wedgwood Ivy House teapot my mother used. She is no longer with us, but her teapot and love remain with me always.
Is Gratitude For Time The Secret?
Oliver Sacks, the British neurologist, wrote in his book Gratitude that gratitude is the secret to happiness. I believe this is true. I know I should be thankful every day, not just this day. Too often, I forget.
“My predominant feeling is one of gratitude. I have loved and been loved. I have been given much and I have given something in return. Above all, I have been a sentient being, a thinking animal, on this beautiful planet, and that in itself has been an enormous privilege and adventure.”
— Oliver Sacks
The extraordinary thing about family and dear friends is that our hearts and minds hold each others’ stories, which bring laughter, eye rolls, and sometimes tears. We are forever a part of each other.
Our family and friends love and support us daily, even when they are not physically with us. But no matter who we are or where we come from, we all share the same desire—time with loved ones.
What’s your favorite part of the holiday season? To me it represents the story of love and how it’s expressed in the places and times that bring us peace—family, friends, and loved ones who share this journey in time with us.
CHEERS: A Simply Delicious Earl Grey Tea Cocktail
Mary Ann, this is so wonderful and beautiful: "One day, my young daughter asked me to kiss her boo-boo. Pressed for time, I hurriedly obliged. She cried, telling me it wasn’t any good because my kiss had no love."