The Fleeting Gift of Time by Scott Lebin

The best gift we can give is a gift of time

Insights

Milestones in our lives are celebrated on birthdays, graduations, weddings, anniversaries. We also remember special religious and national holidays because our family and community celebrate these days by bringing us all together as a group. These moments unite us with family, friends, neighbors, and those people who are important in our lives. It is also during some of these occasions that we give gifts to honor and support significant life achievements.

It has been suggested that a system could be established in the giving of gifts: one gift that is something that is wanted, one gift of something that is needed, one item of clothing, and something to read that can lead to a purposeful life. This avoids the tendency to fill a room with so many gifts that children or adults become overwhelmed with so many “things” that most of them will have minimal impact and might lose the appreciation for whatever is received. Quantity of gifts does not equate to appreciation, satisfaction, or happiness. Many of those items will be forgotten quickly and some will be just a waste of money.

In a life that is filled with activity and busy schedules, the best gift we can give is a gift of time. During childhood, the memories that mean the most are the special times spent with family and friends. These times include many activities that might not even cost much money. A visit to the beach, sledding down hills, families gathered together at holiday events are examples of moments that create memories that last a lifetime. There are gifts that we were given in childhood that are long gone and have little influence as part of our current memories of childhood. Some special gifts we might remember because of the impact the gift had at a special moment in our lives. Our first bike or our first American Girl Doll or our first automobile are such items that are imbedded in our long-term memories.

The gift of time is probably the most valuable gift we can give children, family and friends. Spending quality time together is an activity that creates a place in our long-term memory. These memories are often recalled throughout our life. If we are deprived of having quality time with our parents, grandparents, school mates, and friends; some people later in life have regrets about these missing moments. When these memories aren’t part of our early life, we often commit in our adult life to create such moments for our own children. We make sure that they have family and community experiences that we missed in our childhood. We place high importance on creating memories of togetherness with family, community, and friends.

We can find many fine and unique gifts in our communities to support local businesses and provide a gift of love. The time spent shopping for the perfect gift for those who are important in our lives can be an act of love. There is a joy in giving a gift to people who are important in our lives or to those who need our help because they are alone. Time spent with others baking cookies, helping children make a creative gift (a picture or a card) are all ways we can spend valuable time together.

The time we spend helping someone who needs our help, the time we spend with our families and the quality time spent together focused on each other is the most significant of all the gifts we

can give. It will be this time that will be relived years from now as we remember the traditions created during our holiday spent together.

O. Henry’s short story, The Gift of the Magi, reminds us that the gift itself is not significant but the act of love behind the gift is what makes gift giving so important. It is my hope that you will give and receive just one gift that is filled with love and remains in your memory throughout your life.