The Gift of Time

In his best-selling devotional, The Purpose Driven Life, Rick Warren wrote that the best gift one can give is time. His reasoning is as followed: It is possible to regain some things that one gives, such as material wealth; time, on the other hand, can never be recovered. Therefore, when we give our time to others, we are in fact giving them a piece of our life--a piece that is forever shared with them.

Before one can give, however, she must first receive. This is true for all manners of giving, but it is especially true when it comes to time. None of us decides how long we spend in this world (with the exception of suicide, of course, which is a whole other issue). Even with the age long obsession for longevity, Tomorrow is never promised to anyone.

But few realizes this simple fact. Many people live recklessly, irresponsibly and insensibly, wasting away a gift that they have been so graciously given. Some people, having had a close encounter with death or having walked very close to it, come to appreciate each new day as the precious gift it is. These people carry with them a blessing that makes each day exciting and worth living. They, in turn, give with a thankful heart.

I met a lovely family one evening when I played at a cancer ward. The mother, a beautiful blond woman in her mid-40's, was the patient. Her 20-something-year-old daughter lay beside her on the bed, while the father, a stout man with a bushy mustache, sat on a small couch across from the bed. The family of three did not seemed like they were in a hospital. In fact, as I entered I felt as if I have been invited into their living room at home.

"Any request?" I asked, as I sometimes do.

"Do you know any of the Disney songs?" The mother asked eagerly. She looked at her daughter and the two exchanged a smile.

As soon as I started playing the familiar melody, tears began streaming down the mother's cheeks. She put her arms around her daughter, who rested her head on her mother's chest. The mother kissed her daughter's forehead, sniffling and chuckling at the same time. The setting sun shone through a large window, reflecting golden rays on a sweet moment of bliss. Mother and daughter rocked back and forth, lost in memories triggered by the song.

"Five years ago, the doctors told me that I wouldn't make it," The mother told me, still holding on to her daughter, eyes shining brightly with tears. "But I did, and I was able to see my daughter graduate from college. It's going to be her twenty-sixth birthday this weekend...and to think that I never thought I would make it this far!"

Thankfulness filled the room as all of us were in tears. No pain, no discomfort was too much for the mother to bear as she thought of each new day that she was given to share with her daughter. As for the daughter, resting in her mother's warm embrace like a small child, I guess there's nothing she wanted more from her mom.