On the gift of time

"Good Morning" friends-May I ask a question of you?
"How much do you value the gift of another's time?"  


My mom never had a "bucket list", well, at least what she would have called that.  But I'm pretty sure that she had her own "Lois Scott Wish List". My guess is that it didn't have much on it, at least what a person could buy at the store.  


I can remember asking her many times, "Mom, what do you want for ____________________?  (just fill in the blank with any special time that people feel this need to buy something for someone). 


Her answer would always be the same...."I just want you kids to be here." And I can remember rolling my eyes and drawing in a deep sigh and saying once again, "No, Mom, REALLY, what can I buy you for a present?  What do you need?"


I'm going to make a guess that many of you heard the SAME thing from your mom.  Isn't it strange that even after we give them a head full of gray hairs and every worried wrinkle on their brows, that they STILL love us and in lieu of any expensive gift, their desire  is to be close to us and spend time with us?  THEY WANT THE GIFT OF OUR TIME.  


I was reminded how special the "gift of time" was just last evening as I visited with a Facebook friend from the land of long ago and far away, my hometown of Haven, Kansas.  We sat and talked for over an hour.  For the price of a couple of "cokes", shared memories way more precious than any gift that can be purchased or charged to a Visa, were remembered.  It was the most wonderful hour of an evening that I have spent in quite some time.  


  Strangely enough, when I came home last night and looked in the mirror, I saw a different person once again.  And it was a "good" thing.  Amazing what a smile and laughter can do to your overall disposition with this thing we refer to as "LIFE".  The older I get, the more I realize, that one of the greatest gifts that a person can bestow upon another is the gift of their time.   Mom, you were right....once again!  :)


I continue to work on 3 items from the bucket list that I  hope to have accomplished by the end of the month.  The consistently hot temperatures here in our part of the world make going power-parachuting next to impossible.  My good friend, Morris Yoder, explained to me how the "thermals" in the air above us would provide one rocky ride for a power parachuter.  We've had to delay going until later on in the month.  I'm grateful for his advice and knowledge on this kind of thing.  Way too hot to "ride on the back of a motorcycle, very fast, and live to tell about it."  My good friends, the Brubakers, will help me with that one when the weather is more "hospitable."  


Good thing that swimming lesson #3 doesn't have to be postponed because of the heat.  Having said that statement, I do believe I may have "grown" a bit.  Just 3 weeks ago, I would have been looking for ANY excuse, weather related or not, to get out of going to lesson #1.  So come this Saturday morning, I'm going to head right back to the "Y", wade out to the 4.5 depth of water, and work hard at whatever my teacher asks me to do.  I have only 2 lessons remaining until I am done with the very beginning course they offer.  With luck, I will then be referred to as "Peggy, the tadpole."  Believe me, for those of us who weren't born "fish", YOU HAVE TO START SOMEWHERE!


Have a wonderful Thursday all you!  Stay cool, safe, and very well!