When You're Given A Gift of Time

I’ve stopped “waiting for this to end,” moving various appointments until we finally just agreed to schedule when we could. I’ve discovered patience and peace of mind in my approach to each day. I no longer view them as mine to control. And this has awakened me to how I can use this time for good. Not just a vague “universal good” but a very personal and specific way to think of it as a gift.

Just last summer I was given a rotten diagnosis, the kind that made me take stock of my life, consider my legacy and possibilities if I were allowed a future. So far, it’s looking like I was given more time. And now I’ve been given a gift of a different kind: the opportunity to be calm and quiet with few demands or deadlines. I do not want to lose this perspective. When I find myself “killing time” with boring details, worries, or games, I challenge my choice with a reminder of how blessed I am to be alive, and ask if there is anything I’d love to do. And the answers often have to do with people: whom haven’t I written or called in a while? Is there a contribution I can make to someone’s well-being? Even reviewing my own goals that were put off and seeing how I can take a small step. This makes time pass elegantly, like doing an art project or clearing a “dark corner,” thinking of it as a mini treasure hunt to the bottom of a drawer or glove compartment (I found three gloves).

This sojourn will come to an end. What will you have to show for it? I’m hoping for an appreciation of hugs and renewed relationships and whatever I’ve accomplished at a graceful pace.