I Wish You Gifts of Time
by Dana Winters, Ph.D.
I have always been an overly excited gift giver, taking my time to choose just the right gift. I remember when I was a young child, I’d ask my grandmother (affectionately named Mim by her six grandchildren) what she wanted for Christmas. She always gave me the same answer: “Honey, all I want is your time.” Of everything in the world that she could want or need, she always asked for time. This answer confused me; how could she want time? But I never pressed her to tell me something I could buy for her. Thinking about it now, I suspect that even as a child I instinctively knew what she wanted.
As I have grown and my family has evolved, I understand her answer more and more. Day-to-day life seems to get busier and busier with work, children’s activities, social engagements, and various causes that draw our attention. I constantly complain of needing more time—but not the time that Mim requested as a Christmas present.
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