The Gift of Time

I recall as a child hearing adults frequently say, “Time goes by faster the older you get.”  At the time it seemed such a ridiculous idea. I thought, “How could time speed up as you get older?”  After all time is time and it is not dependent on one’s age, right?  However, as I have gotten older, I have begun to understand. I am sure I have even uttered those words myself a time or two, God forbid.

Really, how could it possibly be Christmas already and a New Year right around the corner?  Didn’t we just take down the Christmas tree and put all the decorations back in storage? Maybe time does speed up as we get older.

Of course, I realize that time does not speed up. Instead, I think it is that we speed up in order to keep pace with our lives. We are constantly racing around trying to beat the clock, but it often seems that the clock wins. We fill our days and weeks with so many things to do that there seems to not be enough time to get it all done.

 At no time of year is that more true than during the holidays. There are parties to attend, shopping to do, packages to wrap, food to cook, cards to send, church activities to join, and the list goes on and on. There is so much to do that we seldom take time to just be present with ourselves or with each other.

As we go about our holiday activities, I would like to suggest that we remember that the most meaningful gift we can give to another, or to ourselves, is the gift of time – the present of presence. We can give ourselves permission to stop the activities and set aside a few minutes to connect with the beautiful, unique and wondrous expression of the Divine that each of us is. The Christmas story tells us that the wise men and the shepherds came to honor the infant Jesus. You, too, are worthy of that kind of honor and appreciation.

Likewise, you are the best gift that you can give another. A gift of your time is more valuable than anything you can possibly purchase. It is a gift more precious than frankincense, gold or myrrh. The gift of your presence is timeless and priceless.

We can’t stop time. We can’t even make it slow down. However, we can see it as a gift that we can give away. Perhaps then rather than saying, “Time goes by faster as you get older,” we will choose to say, “Time is more precious to me as I get older, and I choose to joyously receive and share the gift of every moment.”

Happy Holy Days!