On Black Friday last year, I did not save a penny. Since losing my soulmate and the father of my children, I hold very little value in “stuff” and even less in the time it takes to chase the best price. No, I remained completely unprepared, as usual, until the last minute and thereby had a little struggle further on, but on that day, instead of waking up early and standing in lines, fighting over the last pair of half-price mittens, I spent the day present with my children enjoying their presence.
This is not to judge those who seek to save and be financially responsible on that day. I certainly pay a higher price at times for the same product, but the time I had that day with my kids was relaxed and priceless; something that is always in demand and never on sale. The focus was less on the number of shopping days left before Christmas and more on the amount of quality time left before Christmas. Instead of getting my kids 12 presents apiece, I would rather give them 12 happy memories, 12 smiles, 12 praises, 12 feelings of being loved, or 12 days of doing something fun together.
These things are not easier, but arguably harder because they take our most precious commodity which is not our money; it is our time. Money is a renewable resource, but time can never be replaced. Once a day is gone, it shall never grace this earth again. Though that may sound like bad news, it is actually exciting because it makes it really special and also, it is never too late to start using our time in more precious ways. Each moment of each day stands on its own. If I misused hours last week, it does not impact my ability to honor the precious time I have today.
Aiming for presence,
Nikola Rosa
