Episode 005: Christmas Special: Love & Time
Love & Time
Once upon a time, there was an island where all the feelings lived: Happiness, Sadness, Knowledge, and all the others, including Love. One day it was announced to the feelings that the island would sink, so all constructed boats and left. Except for Love.
Love was the only one who stayed because Love wanted to hold out until the very last possible moment. When the island had almost sunk, Love decided that it was about time to try to escape before it was too late.
Love called out to various feelings that were floating about on their boats.
Richness was passing by Love in a grand boat. Love said, “Richness, can you take me with you?”
Richness answered, “No, I can’t. There is a lot of gold and silver in my boat. There is just not enough room for you here.”
Love decided to ask Vanity who was also passing by in a beautiful vessel. “Vanity, please help me!”
“I can’t help you, Love. You are all wet and might damage my boat,” Vanity answered.
Sadness also passed close by, so Love asked, “Sadness, let me go with you.”
“Oh . . . Love, I am so sad that I need to be by myself!”
Happiness passed by Love, too, but she was so happy that she did not even hear when Love called her.
Suddenly, there was a voice, “Come, Love, I will take you.” It was an elder.
So blessed and overjoyed, Love even forgot to ask the elder where they were going. When they arrived at dry land, the elder went his own way. Realizing how much she owed to the elder, Love asked Knowledge, another elder, “Who helped me?”
“It was Time,” Knowledge answered.
“Time?” asked Love. “But why did Time help me?”
Knowledge smiled with deep wisdom and answered, “Because only Time is capable of understanding how valuable Love is.”
The Insights and Takeaways
Love and Time. What a great story for the entire family to enjoy. This story holds a special place in my heart. I heard it for the first time when I was a wee little lad in elementary school. I remember reading it in a story compilation book my mom bought for me when I was younger. I can’t think of the title off the top of my head, but I’ll let you guys know when I do! Although very simple, the story hits on some complex topics.
I specifically wanted to share this story with you all today in the spirit of the holiday season. During this special time of the year, most people can take some time off of work. The vacation time begins. Parents can stay home for a few days. Kids don’t have to go to school. Around this time, I was usually frolicking around knowing that my finals were done and over with!
For some, this may be one of the few times during the year where the entire family or old friends can be together. How will you spend this precious time?
The story focuses in on how the only thing capable of understanding how valuable love is, is time. This is something I wish I knew earlier, but am blessed to know now. Our most valuable commodity or currency in life isn’t what phone we have. It isn’t how many followers we have. It’s most definitely not how much money we have. The most valuable thing that we have is none other than, time. Time is finite and it can never be replaced. We may have one more day left, we may have 60 years, but regardless, we won’t know for sure how much time we have left and we can’t add any time back.
We spend hours of our time watching TV or Netflix, using apps on our phone, or even just sleeping in. I’m not saying we shouldn’t do these things. Far from it. I’ve binge-watched my favorite shows as much as the next person. BUT what I AM saying is, we should step back and reevaluate how we choose to spend our time during not only the holiday season, but in life in general. Find the balance of love and time in your life.
The Challenge
As always, I want to leave you with a challenge. During this holiday season, I challenge you to spend less time hiding behind your various screens whether they be the TV, a laptop, or a phone. Spend less time getting upset at your relatives or siblings. Spend less time sleeping through half of the day. Do less of all of these things so that you can spend MORE time with others. Spend MORE time with your beloved family and cherish the moments you have together. Spend MORE time with the friends that you truly care about. Spend MORE time loving, laughing, and dancing with others! It doesn’t have to be 24/7, but every second you choose to share with others, can translate into a second of love, that will fill your heart, and someone else’s heart more than any electronic device ever could.
Happy Holidays =]