Blog 322 – 06.22.2016

That is the way many fairy tales begin and also this dream adventure we call our life. Often we act as if time were unimportant but time is money. In fact most of us sell ourselves by the hour for money. There have been several movies with the theme of a future where people buy more time and indeed there are people with lots of money looking for ways to extend their time, live longer.

When I was a young man with my first child and two step sons I worked as much overtime as I could get to pay the rent, utilites, grocery bill and clothe my children, wife, and myself. I tried to spend as much time with each child as I could but often they were asleep when I left for work and in bed before I got home in the evening. I tried to be the best dad I could and when I read the sad statistic that most fathers spent less than ten minutes with their young children each day it hurt my heart. And Jesus wept and so did I.

Out time and attention is the best gift we can give our children, our family, and our friends. Relationships wither and die for lack of this most precious investment. Do you spend thirty minutes a day nurturing your relationship with yourself, your higher best self? Getting to know the most important person in your life is paramount and too often that person gets less than those hungry children.

A mother, father, or friend who fails to nurture themselves first not only cheats themselves but their children, their family and friends. A sickly, starved, and anemic person (physically, mentally or both) has little to give to others. Like wise a healthy and well fed person has so much more to give and to share.

Take care of yourself and you just might live longer but whether you do or not you will live better and have the energy and desire to invest more of your time and attention in others. On their death bed no one regrets not spending more time at work but rather wishes they had spent more of the time they had with their loved ones. Spend time with someone you love today. Write a new fairy tale, “Once upon a time…”

Your friend and fellow traveler,
David White