The gift of time . . .

[Bucky]

With all the holidays coming up - if a person would give the gift of their time over a store bought gift that costs money a person might not have - and the recipient might not want or use. 

It could be a certificate for an afternoon of baking.

It could be a movie and popcorn at your house.

An afternoon or evening of putting all the electronic gadgets aside and pulling out the board games or cards and actually talking face-to-face with someone - laughing and having a good time.

Working on a craft together.

Having one of your children or grandchildren teach you all the ins and outs of a computer.     (That's what I have to do . . . LOL).  It makes them feel important.

Visit a shut-in - just spend some time with them.  Even it's only an hour or less, you will make their day and also be rewarding to you.

It seems to me - with each year that goes by, time is slipping away faster and faster.  Everything is hurry, hurry, hurry.  We mean to visit with Aunt Betty who isn't feeling well and is up in her years - we'll do that tomorrow . . . well, some times, tomorrow is too late.

I've heard how children of divorced parents would much rather spend one-on-one time with a parent instead of being showered with guilt gifts.  You can't purchase the gift of time - you have to make it in your 24 hr. daily allotment.

Time stops for nobody.  It doesn't matter who you are, how much money you have, where you live, what kind of vehicle you drive, what kind of education you have, etc. - we're all given the same 24 hrs. in a day.  You can't "bank" your time, you can't save it.  As the saying goes - "use it, or lose it".

The gift of time . . . . the most precious gift you can give!

Bucky

[Meld256]

Bucky,

Very thought-provoking!  So true that the time spent with others is what is remembered, sharing in a laugh or doing something together.  Sometimes we're so busy with our lives we tend to forget to this.

One of the best times we had with my husband's maternal grandmother wasn't planned. She lived with my MIL/FIL and we went to their place in another state for Christmas for two days, which turned into a week.

It snowed the day we were to leave and got worse and worse so we stayed. It got to be a joke; when are these people leaving?! We had so much fun after all the activities were over.  His granny told me old stories I'd never heard about when she was young while we watched more ice and snow fall out in the country.

His Grandma got sick in the spring and died in Sept. so it was the last Christmas we had with her, and we cherish it. We wouldn't have those memories if we'd rushed back home.

Sometimes I get annoyed and down about my lack of energy, but we can try to find times around it, even if it's a short phone call if we're not up to visiting.  It's a challenge for most of us, but it can usually be done somehow.
Thanks for reminding us all how important our time really is.