It is so hard to believe that the first month of the New Year is almost over! Time certainly does "march on"!
Life is busy and there is always more on the to do list then there is time to get it all done. It seems that no matter how much we try to prioritize those lists, important things always get put off. There are emails to answer, calls to return, and appointments to keep. Throw in the "curveballs" that life sends us, and, at the end of the day, there is always something that we wish we had done.
When we have an ailing family member in their finals stages of life, we realize how inconsequential most of those things are. We usually respond by wanting to turn back the clock. "I wish I had spent more time with him", or I wish we had more time together". We yearn to go back to happier times and redo the things we neglected to do. In those final times, when the family member knows that their time is limited, they often experience many of those same regrets.
Through the holidays, as my mother-in-law, was in her finals weeks, one of the things that brought her contentment was the time that our family spent with her. Hours were spent pouring through old photos and memorabilia. There were photos of family members that we had never met. And, my mother-in-law was thrilled to talk about them and the events when the photos were taken. Pictures of her childhood and early days of her marriage, relived for her the precious and memorable times of her life. Artifacts that she had brought home from her travels reminded her of the lovely places she had been and the great times she had. It was heartwarming for her and a valuable lesson for her grandchildren. They learned history of their family that they, otherwise would not have known. They learned things about their Grandmother and her childhood. Precious stories of a life lived. A legacy to be passed on for generations. And while we enjoyed this time with her, her two beautiful great-grandchildren were running around, oblivious of what was to come. But, what a stark reminder to the circle of life!
Yes, time is a precious commodity. Make the time while you can. You'll be glad you did!
