The delightful thing about
being retired is actually having time to be kind. We have become so obsessed with being busy
these days that we have forgotten how to gear down a notch and smell the roses. Volunteer work can do that, but you can also
try just making a commitment to friends and family.
A letter to Dear Abby this
last week touched on the subject of the gift of time. A woman told of a gift from her son that was
more precious to her than anything material could ever be. He gave her Tuesdays. He gave her a day of the week to pursue
outside interests. He gave her a whole
day to participate in classes, enjoy a group activity, have lunch with friends,
or do whatever she wants. What a lovely thing to do.
Another article that I
found, by Elinor Tatum (New York Amsterdam News, 12/24/2009), expressed similar
sentiments. She writes about how
important it is to give time to those we love, while they are still alive to
enjoy it. We still have wonderful people
in our lives and we need to cherish those relationships now. While it is great to give presents, the greatest
gift we can give is time. Material
things are great and many people do really want and need things, but don’t forget
how priceless the gift of time is. Time doesn’t
pile up and just become more stuff to get rid of down the road. Time is the one thing that no one can take
away from you.
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