This Thing Called Time

Honestly, it’s just crazy! The older I get, the faster life seems to run. I thought that it would slow down a little as the kids got older. I figured that not having to run after little ones would afford me a little more time and freedom. Although this is true in some respects, it just seems that life has picked up a velocity that keeps churning, spinning and pushing me to the brink of exhaustion. 

The beautiful balmy breeze in South Florida and brilliant sunshine taunt me as I yearn to spend a lazy day at the beach.  Scratch that. Did I say “day”? I really meant at least a month. Heck, I’ll take a day-who am I kidding? I KNOW I’m not the only one who feels this way, right?

Several years ago I asked a friend’s mother a question as I pondered this same dilemma that was plaguing me back then. She must have been in her mid 70’s when I asked her a series of probing questions concerning this warp speed that my life had taken on.

“WHEN-Please tell me when this will slow down? Will it slow down? Does it ever slow down?” I’ll never forget her response. She looked at me through her thick glasses and said, “Oh yes, dear. It does slow down.  After the grandchildren are all grown up, it starts to slow down a bit.”

REALLY?

 

Knowledge and Wisdom

Let’s get something straight here. I’m not a silver-haired (I admit it, I DO hit the bottle once in a while-hair color, for those of you wondering) elderly woman who has lived enough life to give the younger generation great morsels of wisdom. I hope to get to that place one day, but for now I will settle for what little I do know.

A retired friend once said this to me,” Knowledge and Wisdom are not the same.” I have pondered that little statement many times. I agreed with it when I first heard it and I agree with it now~even more so.

What good does it do to go to college, graduate school and beyond if you fail to apply wisdom with the knowledge you receive?  What’s the difference? Knowledge is the attaining of facts. I can go to school and become an outstanding surgeon with the proper training. Wisdom, or the lack of it, will dictate how I use that training. I could go on to do wonderful things and help save lives. I could also go off and use that medical knowledge for unethical, inhumane atrocities. This is a very basic comparison that I’m laying out for you.

I’ve seen, too often, where many will attain great knowledge and degrees only to use their new status in life as a pedestal to look down on others. Big mistake. Wisdom would say otherwise. Any time you give more value to things (knowledge included) rather than the relationships in your life, you make a grave error. It is my opinion that the relationships that we foster, for good or for bad, are what give us the most satisfaction or dis-satisfaction in life. We are all wired for relationship. When we don’t have good ones, we ache deep inside. When we have healthy ones, life seems to be good~even through difficult circumstances.

If you’re not careful, you could mistakenly confuse wisdom with knowledge. I don’t believe they’re even distant cousins! When used together though, wisdom and knowledge can give birth to some wonderful life-long legacies.

Just my opinion.

Gratitude-Paying It Forward

I recently received a card in the mail from somebody that I didn’t recognize at first. I opened it and as I read the words that were written I was both astonished and filled with an overwhelming sense of gratitude for this person~a woman whom I just happen to meet several weeks earlier at a department store check out line.

Let me explain. It was late at night. This particular department store was having one of their big sales and they were open late. It must have been around 10PM, if my memory serves me correct. Anyway, as I was standing in line waiting to check out, a conversation was struck with the woman in line behind me. Those of you who know me understand this much about my personality~that I live by this mantra: “There are no strangers in life-only friends I haven’t met yet!” As was this case, we talked about her recent move to the area, how her husband was in active military, the weather, etc. A very pleasant conversation with a sweet soul. As I finished paying for my items, I turned around and handed her my 30% OFF coupon. I didn’t need it anymore and that was the last night that any of us could use it. She gladly accepted and we parted ways.

Evidently, my name and address were on that card. Hence, the nice card I received. Here is what it said:

Dear Mrs. Hastings,
I stood behind you in line at ABC Dept Store (NO~Not the liquor
store!) last month. We exchanged a few friendly words and then
to my surprise, you shared your coupon with me.

You saved me close to $30, and more than that, you touched my
heart. To a one income, active duty Army family, $30 is alot! 😉
I prayed a special blessing for you and your family. Your kindness
was unexpected and I greatly appreciated it and felt the need to
tell you so.

I have already paid it forward, to say the least. Random Acts of
Kindness are heart warming and inspiring. In my case, it was also
a blessing. Thank you so much! Take care and God Bless.

This woman could have gone the rest of her life, never sharing her heart with me about this incident. I so appreciated her taking the time to let me know that this seemingly insignificant act on my part touched her in a sweet and special way. I am the one who was touched by her!

I keep this card tucked away in a very special place. I see it often and it serves to remind me that we all have those “Divine Appointments” in life. Whom will you run into tomorrow? Under what circumstance? How will you respond? How will I respond. Will I be kind? Or, will I be hot and bothered that day about God knows what? I hope that I choose kindness. How about you?

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