The most precious gift

Since today is the day our clocks move forward once again I want to share something I wrote, as a challenge, in 2000. It is titled "The Most Precious Gift".

If you are alive and breathing, whoever you are, whatever your origin, sex, or age, there is a gift you share with everyone, whether you want to or not. This gift is invisible, has no scent, makes no noise, and can't be touched or tasted. It is the most precious gift you have and without it you would cease to be. 

We all have an equal amount, no matter where we live, how much money we make, whether we are dependent or independent. Neither a high I.Q. nor a high paying job grants anyone more of this gift than anyone else. It can't be loaned, bought or stolen from another. We all have 1,440 minutes of time each day we spend on this plant. How we choose to use thes minutes is an individual decision. We are not born with a road map or a list of rules. Good or bad, the choice is up to us. Nobody can make it for us.

It is interesting how many people with titles sometimes assume their time is more valuable than those without. Adults often think their time is more important than children's. simply because they are adults, and therefore deserve more attention. Nationality, tradition and training has taught some men that their time is much more valuable than a women's. If the world ended right now, none of us would have time left to worry about it.

Every moment of every day we all have the opportunity to help others by sharing a part of ourselves with everyone we come in contact with. If we realized time could run out right now, maybe we would find the time to be kinder o each other, to smile more, say thank you, share a thought, or help another. Wouldn't it be wonderful to spend every moment celebrating that we have it, instead of worrying and fretting about things we don't have and probasbly don't need anyway? How we decide to use our allotted time is far more important than who our parents were or how many material things we feel we need to be happy. We can choose to be negatives, bitter and hateful or positive, grateful and loving, taking all opportunities to help others help themselves.

Barbara Loure` Gunn, 2000