Inspiration
I’m sitting on the floor at 9pm on a Friday night cutting out a poncho pattern for my oldest daughter. At the same time, I’m asking myself why in the world I’m doing this. The answer is simple. I told her I would. When I agree to do something, I absolutely follow through, almost always to my own detriment. Again I ask why. It would be so easy to flake out and present any of many excuses. However, I believe time is one of the most valuable commodities we possess. Sharing my time is the greatest gift I can give.
I recently came to the realization this it is in my nature to serve others. It may seem silly that at 30+ years old I’ve just connected the dots. I didn’t want to identify myself in that capacity because pride got in the way. Doing tasks for others made me happy, but I put boundaries around it. I controlled and limited myself in how I could serve. What I didn’t recognize until recently was how inspired I felt when I let go and deliberately served others by putting in the extra time. So, I found myself late on a Friday night sitting on a hard floor cutting felt and inspired to write these words.
Realization
Shopping for Christmas presents this year I focused on unique handcrafted items, but also on saving money so that I can provide special experiences for my girls throughout the year. I love the idea of giving experiences, but I am a fan of doing both.
At the end of the day, what would my kiddos really like for Christmas? If you ask my oldest to write up a list it is endless, but only things. However, every day she asks for more time with me, more time with her dad and her family. When I set her up to focus on things she will, but it is in her nature to crave time as a family, so why not listen to my child and give her that whenever I can. The gift of time is not something that can be returned and may not always be appreciated, but it will create lasting memories for us and our kids.
