Time is something we all seem to run out of these days. Swirling about in our rush to get to work, pick up kids, get home, cook dinner and finally collapse in front of the TV. Rush, rush, rush … spells stress. No time to play, no time to go out, not time to call mum or dad, no time to just sit and be.
Does this sound like you? Or your partner? We all get caught up in the rush of the busy world from time to time but it’s worth stopping for a second to check: how long have you been doing this? Has it been a day? A week? A year? Take care or it could be your lifetime. Do you need someone to assist you to organise your time?
Alison
Alison was busy. Very busy. Dad had dementia and was in a home; he felt so isolated now that Mum was gone and the kids grown up. The grandkids? Well, they visited when they could, about every six months. Alison loved her dad dearly. It was hard to see him like this, tottering on his feet and with no appetite. He hardly knew her. Alison was 60 and her dad was really getting on now. People told her he’d had a fair share of life but in Alison’s heart she wondered what a fair share really was. She loved him, even though he never remembered her anymore.
She would sit and hold his hand while he slept some days and remember how he pushed her on the swing when she was a little girl. But, as Alison got older, Dad spent more and more time at work and Mum had to get a job. There were six of them, you know. Alison got a job so she could help look after the rest of the kids. It was hard with all her homework on top and hardly any time to finish it. Then, as Alison got older, she moved to Queensland. It was a long way away from Mum and Dad but it was for a great job with a great man. Three kids later and her marriage was over, so Alison decided to come home. By now, Mum was sick and the kids in their teens; they were off doing their own thing. Mum died the next year and Dad also was a mess.
Now, it was Dad’s turn. So that sunny Sunday afternoon as Alison held dad’s hand she wondered where the time had gone. Dad didn’t know her. She felt so cheated yet she was the one who had gone away. She wondered where all the time had gone.
John
John put the phone down after leaving a message for his son, Gary. It had been two months since he he had last seen him. Gary was busy with his wife and four kids. Saturday morning sport, work all week, homework… Sunday was family day, but only for Gary’s family. John wasn’t a part of that.
Gary never rang his father back that day. Or the next week. A day or so later, John had a heart attack. Gary never made it to the hospital on time. Sorry Dad. No time. No time to say goodbye.
Sam
Sam kept checking his phone. Where was that client call? He had to close this deal. It was the big one, the big break for Emily and the kids. They were off to Paris for his work, how wonderful. Bye Mum, bye Dad, bye sis. See you next year when we get back for holidays. New house, had to learn French, so busy. No time. Just a quick Skype. What a lifestyle, with the company paying for it all. Holidays? This year? Oh, no, can’t make it sorry. It’s Christmas with the company CEO at the resort. Maybe next year, Mum. Got to go. Bye. No time.
Sam returned 10 years later; kids grown. With his wife at his hand, he watched the coffin as it went through the church doors. He had never returned for the holiday; life had swept him away. No time.
You?
All of the above are just stories but, chances are, you might identify with elements of each. So tell me, where do you get swept away to? Do you check your phone during dinner? Are you on your iPad instead of playing with your kids? When was your last date night with your partner? When did you last call Dad? What did you tell your child when he wanted to go to the movies?
Don’t let time cheat you of your life. It will if you let it; time is a thief for us all. Before you know it, you will be in your 80s and wondering where the years have gone. You might still feel young but, the reality is, we are getting older and time is moving. It is your choice how you spend your time. Every day you are given 24 hours — what will you do with yours tomorrow?
