Time is like money.
Yesterday is a cancelled check. The money is gone and cannot be recovered.
Tomorrow is a promissory note with no guarantees.
Today is a present from God. Spend the time wisely.
I was told once that life is like a river, a journey to enjoy as we travel to our final destination. However, I will never be content to sit idly by and float through life because life is a patchwork quilt comprised of memories and experiences.
The similarities are what will bring us together, our differences are what will make us stand out, our flaws are what make us unique.
Over the last few days I had the opportunity of spending time with family and friends that I have not seen for years. One of my cousins shared his memories of my father and the impact my dad on his life. He said my father was always there for the family. Through years of observing how my father treated his family, he formulated his own ideals on how to be a good father and husband. My father was his example. What a special thing it was to hear him share this memory with me.
Tomorrow is my daughter's birthday. She was stubborn in the womb just as she is stubborn now. The day she was born was difficult and after two days of labor she was delivered by Cesarean Section. My husband was there, then went to work, and came back. My mother in law never left my side. She held my hand, tried to feed me soup, grapes, and bought me a paperback book from the bookstore. Since she couldn't speak english, the book was about war strategy. She didn't know what it was about but it was in english and the man at the counter told her it was a best seller. I didn't read the book but I appreciated her gestures of love more than she ever knew. My daughter is too young to remember how much she was loved by her grandmother. The day we returned to the states, I turned around to look back as the taxi pulled away from the curb. I saw her standing there with tears in her eyes and found it hard to stay in control as I felt the tears filling my eyes too. This memory is a special patch for my life quilt. It was the last time I saw her before she died.
My son, on the other hand, waits for no one. He entered the world in 20 minutes. I remember the doctor rushing in with his gown untied behind him and hopping on one foot while he put the booties over his shoes. This time I was alone in the delivery room because my exhusband doesn't handle these situations well. My father had suffered a series of strokes and hadn't fully recovered. But my dad was stubborn and had always been there for me,. He asked someone else to drive him 150 miles to be with me and see his grandson. It was my last memory of my dad. He died soon after that visit. This is a favorite patch in my life quilt and I carry this memory with me everyday.
When my daughter was turning three, I heard my dad's old pickup truck pull up outside. We went out to see a large box in the back of his truck. He bought her a swingset that took an entire weekend to put together and completely invaded our small back yard. However, it was worth it. I still treasure the pictures of my father sitting with my daughter on those swings. The memories of my father are always with me. If you were able to see my life quilt, you would see him everywhere.
Quote by Sam Keene.
Adding the memories of my mother to my life quilt has been more of a challenge. My mother was rarely there for me. She isn't a bad person just incredibly self absorbed. It was normal for mom to forget my birthday and try to make it up with a nice gift of my choosing after my dad reminded her that she forgot. In second grade I was in an afternoon Christmas program. The bus was not running and we lived on a ranch 30 miles outside of town. Mom was scheduled to come to the program, bring cookies, and take me home. She got involved in other things and simply didn't show up. The teacher and janitor called and called but no one answered the phone. It was early December and I sat outside the school in the cold for almost five hours waiting. I stayed because I knew someone would remember. As the sun went down I saw my dad's old pickup truck racing into the parking lot throwing gravel as it screeched to a halt in front of me. His face was full of concern as I climbed up into the cab. Apparently, when he came home and I wasn't there he jumped into the truck, and raced to the school. I could feel the tension between my parents for days after.
I add these memories to my quilt, not because I want to remember my mother in a bad way, but because I want it to be a lesson of the type of memories I refuse to create in my own life. Included in my life quilt are the memories of mom teaching me never to settle for what life hands you. She would say that "the person reaching for a star will always go farther than the person reaching for a tree top." Mom taught me the bible, a love of music, and art. She drilled into me that doing right isn't always easy. I would hear her say repeatedly "Following the right path is like hiking a mountain. It is easy to go downhill but the top is where the true rewards are." My focus is on the positive memories, but I don't want to forget the others. I am a compilation of all of my life memories, not just the good ones.
Source unknown
My daughter has a good heart and I am proud of her. However, she tramps into a situation like a bull walking in a flower garden. The one thing I would like her to know is that it is easier not to create damage than to clean up a mess we leave behind with thoughtless words and actions. I tried to teach my children that life is not perfect, people are not perfect, and they will never meet your expectations. Sometimes, it is important to just love the person and approach the situation separately.
Barbara Johnson
No two people view life exactly the same way. We can't legislate morality or force our views on another person. Becoming so regimented with our rules that there is no margin for error is not the answer. Our founding fathers were rebels who didn't follow the rules and look at the result! If I could give my children one gift, it would be to help them realize that the memory you create with someone today may be the last memory you ever have the opportunity of sharing. They should do everything they can to make it a memory to be treasured as a patch for their own life quilt . A memory that is a pleasure to revisit and be enjoyed again and again.
Today is a present. A gift of time. Spend it wisely.
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